This one shot is a birthday present for my friend Moozanna! Xoxo
Every since Robert signed the papers Andy was a total mess.
She called a divorce lawyer out of anger and she didn't really think he will sign but now that he did Andy couldn't find a strength to hand over the papers. It didn't feel right.
On top of everything Robert found out she slept with Beckett what caused her to sink even deeper than before.
She spent the last month trying to talk to him and to apologize. Oh she apologized like a hundred times and she begged for forgiveness.
After shift she was headed to 19 to find Robert. She couldn't keep going like this. It wasn't fair to stalk him like this but her life was a living hell.
She said quick 'Hi' to anyone she saw and headed towards the lockers.
"Can we please talk?" Andy said staying at the door.
"Why? I think my not answering your text or calls said it all."
"It did but I need to talk to you. Please! I got interrupted so many times."
"What can you possibly say that will excuse what you did, Andy?" He turned to face her.
He immediately saw that she was a mess. He didn't look into her eyes for the last few weeks but he was pissed.
"And why didn't you hand over the papers already? You were quick to call the divorce lawyer but..." Robert sat on the bench.
"I can't hand them over. I can't. " Andy wiped her tears knowing that crying won't help.
She knelt in front of Robert wanting his full attention.
"I'm sorry for everything I did. There is no excuse for it. I deeply regret everything I did to you. It was wrong, very wrong." She took a deep breath.
"I started getting help. Professional help. After you signed the papers I hit the bottom. I knew I needed help. It was a wake up call. I want a second chance."
"I'm glad you did Andy. I need to go now." He completely ignored her last sentence.
Robert wanted to go just so she won't see his tears forming in his eyes. He has to be strong. But how can he when she was telling all the stuff he wanted to hear over a year ago.
He took off her hand and got up.
"I'm really sorry Andy but it's too late now. This needed to happen a year ago." He turned to leave but then stopped.
"I'm not mad at you for sleeping with that asshole Beckett. We are not together. We are... we were just married on the paper.
I still love you and I don't think I'll ever stop loving you but I can't be with someone who is this kind of selfish."
He finished almost breaking down but decided to go before she sees his tears.
Robert will always be in love with her. Comparing to her he spent 10 months suffering that she was ignoring him.
Andy was left destroyed. She went to the bathroom to freshen up a little but her eyes were still puffy from sobbing after him. She didn't know what to do, how to handle the situation from now on.
The next shift at 23 was busy than usual. Andy not in the mood for anything other than crying so she kept her distance from everyone. Theo noticed she was avoiding captain's orders so he looked for her.
"Not now Ruiz. Not in the mood."
"Well excuse me but when my teammate and dear friend is suffering I want to at least let her know I'm here for her."
"Thanks. Honestly you are the only one to even notice I'm suffering."
"Always here to talk." Theo said patting her shoulder giving his support.
"If you know how to get my husband back I would gladly take any suggestions." She tried to smile.
Theo shrugged.
"Not the best person to ask, sorry."
"Nah. It's all my fault. I need to suffer. I deserve it."
The captain informed them that 19 was battling a fire for quite some time and to be ready because soon they will be called in.
Less than 10 minutes after it was the time to go.
Arriving at the scene they got arranged to the groups with others. Seeing Robert Andy's eyes got teary immediately and she didn't even hear she was in the group with him so Travis had to drag her with them.
"Andy twitch a little, we have fire to put out." Travis yelled and she just nodded.
They were assigned to a west part of the building looking for civilians. In a second Travis went with Maddox to the left so she was left with Robert with no time to protest about it.
They both started calling for civilians and soon Robert lost sight of Andy as the smoke was getting thicker by the second.
He tried not to panic as he started looking for her. Married or not, speaking or not he can't stop caring and looking after her.
"Herrera, location?" He said over the radio.
He noticed her silhouette getting out of the room with what looked like civilian.
"Sorry not hands free to answer the radio. He is badly burned. Can you get him out while I look around."
"Copy. Be quick no time to waste."
He quickly went out, left the victim with the medics and ran back inside to find her. They finished sweeping the floor but as they tried to go back a ceiling collapsed leave them trapped.
"Okay let's find another way out." Robert shouted.
Soon they found a window and jumped out.
She took off her mask and looked for Robert but he already walked away.
The night came quickly and everybody went to sleep to get some rest. Although tired she kept wiggling in her bed trying to sleep but she knew she won't fall asleep having Robert on her mind. She forgot her sleeping pills at home so no sleep for her this time.
Eventually tiredness knocked her out.
"Robert?" Andy asked as she was heading towards her car.
Robert gave her a little wave.
"I thought about it and I'm going to be a bigger person in this mess and tell you that I will listen to what you have to say. Unlike you I can't stand seeing you suffering so I'm willing to listen."
A huge smile appeared on Andy's face.
"Just say time and location and I'll be there."
"4pm. Our bench in the park." He said closing the car door.
Andy nodded and smiled.
"Hey!" Andy said shyly seeing Robert sitting on the bench.
"I used to come here a lot." He stated.
"I drove by ou... your house the other day..."
"I moved." He interrupted. "Too many things were reminding me of you... us." He decided to straight with her but looked away trying to blink away the tears.
Andy's shock was evident but she didn't know what to say.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet." She finally said after a few minutes and sat next to him.
Robert being Robert handed her a cup of coffee.
"Uhm thanks." Suddenly she got nervous. It looked like they were on a date.
"Now I forgot what I wanted to say." She nervously laughed running her hand trough her hair. All of a sudden she felt like a freshman having a crush on a senior.
"Uhm so... I started therapy after Diane... dr. Lewis was at the station. She pointed out... well Jack did first but that's Jack and he is annoying." Andy looked at Robert being so confused.
"Anyhow Dr. Lewis is helping me a lot. Seeing things well better to say admitting things to myself. About my mom, dad and Ryan that I pushed away.
All of my anger it wasn't about you or us or promotion. It was about them. Mostly about mom. I never healed from that." She whipped her tears away.
"For the past few weeks I was working on that and as each session was passing I realized that all of that unresolved trauma is the problem in our marriage. I made all of it about me and not for a second I thought about you." She took his hands in hers and made him look at her.
"I want deeply to apologize for everything I did. For the anger... yelling...pain I caused you. I know I'm a disappointment as a friend and definitely as I wife. And I would... uhm love to if you'll try and give me I don't know which chance. But I want one to prove to you that I changed. Baby steps."
Andy looked at Robert like her life was depending on it. In the contrarily it really did. Robert didn't say a word for a few minutes. He got up brushed his tears that were fallen and kept pacing around.
"You know..." Andy immediately turned.
"You know... after everything you said I realized I was telling you all of this. I even pointed out a few times that we should talk about your mom and everything and you didn't even wanted to hear about it."
"But..." She tried to interrupt and he motioned her that he is not done.
"I failed as a husband for not forcing... not insisting to process all of it. I made it about me and my sobriety and I left you alone to deal with it which you obviously didn't." He sat back next to her.
"I love you too much to just let you go. I want to work on our marriage. I want to do everything we didn't do before we got married. Then along the way if we really see that this marriage can't be saved you will hand over those papers."
He said this last sentence on purpose to get her reaction.
"And it starts today. We talk, we share things, good or bad, we share them with one another. No more fighting, no more competition..."
"Deal!" She shouted while crying.
They both shared a hug and got up because it was getting cold. On the way to the parking lot Andy really got cold so Robert hugged her with one arm and even skeptical at first she hugged him back.
"Drive safe." Robert said opening the door of her car.
Andy smiled and he kissed her forehead.
"See you tomorrow."
Robert smiled back and went to his car.
For the next few shifts they didn't cross paths on calls, they kept exchanging texts and after over a year everyone noticed Andy was finally happy.
"I noticed you are oddly happy." Theo stated observing Andy while they were preparing dinner.
"I am. Slowly getting back the most important person I have in my life. Working on myself and my traumas so I can say the future look bright."
"Glad to hear that. You were really in the dark place and spiraling."
"I guess I needed to get to the bottom to realize it."
As soon as she finished her sentence the rest of the 23 came to the beanery to eat.
"Herrera, you husband, Sullivan, ex husband, I don't know what he is to you... but he is down stairs asking for you..." Maddox said taking a plate.
She immediately left everything and went downstairs with a smile on her face.
"Hey!" Robert said seeing Andy coming.
"Hey!" She said keeping her hands in her pockets not sure should she kiss him or give him a hug.
"Just came to see if you are free tomorrow morning to go for a drinks with your old team."
"Yeah... sure. Did they make you ask me or... never mind. Ignore. Yes. I will come."
"Okay." He chuckled seeing her being nervous.
"You know you could text me." She winked.
"I know but I didn't see your for days so... I wanted to see you." He also said nervously. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Anything." She answered.
"How this will work? I mean we agreed to work on our marriage but we didn't do a single thing..."
"Yes. About that. I just finished my therapy. Had my last session." She said extending her hands towards him. "Wanted to call you to say it to you but you came here. So... we are free tomorrow, we are going to get drinks with the team, right? If you are free for the rest of the day we can spend it together. I don't..."
"Yes." He interrupted her. "Sorry. I just want to move pass this awkwardness between us. I can see we are acting weird in front of each other, so do we have some rules or restrictions while we work on ourselves?"
They were still holding hands and looking at each other like two teenagers madly in love.
"I guess not." She said.
"Then I'll do something..." he said moving his hands up following her arms.
Suddenly Andy felt butterflies in her stomach and goosebumps taking over. 'He is gonna kiss me." She thought to herself.
"Whatever you want..." she whispered as he got closer to her.
He cupped her face with his hands and placed a long lasting kiss on her lips. After what seemed like a minute of making out they separated resting their foreheads on each other breathless.
"We can call this a first step." Andy said after a few minutes.
"We can." Robert gave her another kiss. "I have to go I'm still on duty." He smiled and turned around to go, leaving Andy just standing there blushing.
He took the doorknob in his hand but then went back to her to kiss her one more time, to give her another one of his kisses she desperately wanted.
"Thank you for agreeing to make this work." She said on the edge of crying, this time happy tears.
"Told ya earlier, I love you too much to let this just become a memory." He said winking and smiling and then left.
As the morning was getting closer Andy felt rollercoaster of emotions. She barely slept but when alarm went off on her phone she got ready in really short period of time and stormed out of the station.
Arriving at Joe's the whole 19 was there greeting her and offering her a spot to sit. Andy was feeling like a new kid in the class waiting for her husband to offer her a seat next to him. Which he did. Not offering just smiling but that was enough. She could read that as invitation.
She nervously sat next to him, the rest of the team didn't know their situation, their work in progress situation, so the shock and surprise was evident on their faces.
Robert casually placed his arm behind her head, resting his hand on her shoulder. and drawing circles with his finger.
"Something definitely changed there." Travis whispered. "Definitely. Weeks ago they would killing each other with looks and now they are all flirty." Vic stated.
"Are they not getting a divorce?" Dean asked Ben.
"Maybe they are not." Ben shrugged.
"I'll ask Theo. He probably knows since they are besties as 23." Vic whispered.
Andy spent a good hour with her old team, listening to their stories and feeling sad not being at her station with her team. She missed a lot.
"Can we go?" Andy asked barely holding it together.
Robert felt her voice was breaking. "Sure. Let's go."
They both got up and said goodbyes and left the Joe's.
More like ran outside. Andy got out and start finding it hard to catch a breath.
"It's all my fault. I did that. I... did that." She couldn't hold it together anymore.
Robert being a little bit confused just stood there trying to connect the pieces.
"I destroyed my family. I'm not a part of it anymore." She finally managed to say and Robert just hugged her.
He couldn't say you didn't because she did so he only could offer her a comforting hug which she gladly accepted.
Andy calmed down a little bit so she started pacing around.
"That was the most awkward hour of my life. I don't feel like I'm a part of that family anymore." Robert saw she was realizing things so he kept his distance not saying a single thing.
"I... I ruined everything. Everything." She yelled helplessly.
"C'mon." He took her hand and led her to his car.
"I could say a lot of things right now but we decided we are going forward not backwards. Seeing that you realizing things now and it took you over a year to see it. So listen."
Andy whipped her tears and prepared to listen.
"How you felt for that one hour I was feeling like that for good 10 months. Being a stranger in my station. We blamed each other for a long time and I'm not doing that right now because we are pass that but I need to say this to you... You are a stranger in your old station. You are responsible for all of that but that was in the past Andy but you need to move forward. You are working on yourself. They are all the same like a year ago but you aren't. Remember that. Okay?"
"Oh God... I really don't deserve you. I really don't."
"You don't but I'm here anyway." He chuckled cupping her face and placing a kiss on her lips. "Now let's go. No more crying today, we have a whole day ahead of us."
"So where are we going?" She asked getting in his car.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"Just be with you, somewhere quiet."
It crossed Robert's mind to take her home and let it all happen what needed to happen but he decided against it. It was too early for that. Instead he took her to Waterfall Garden Park.
"You wanted peaceful place so this is it."
"Love it. We never been here." Andy said observing what was around her.
"Nope. Just me." She turned at his mention. "It's quite during the day so let's sit somewhere closer to the water."
She agreed and they took coffee and sat next to the waterfall. Robert kept playing with her hand and occasionally they would exchange a few looks. They didn't talk, just enjoyed each other presents and sound of water.
"How about lunch?" She broke the silence, still kept her eyes closed.
"Let's go." He stood up and took her bad and they left holding hands.
"I'm driving." She stated abd took his keys from his hand.
"Okay, okay." He chuckled.
They went to grab something to eat and spent the whole afternoon goofing around the city. As the sun was going down Andy's mood was also going down knowing they will need to separate. She really enjoyed this day and she was the happiest since who knows when.
He drove her back to 23 to take her car. The whole ride back she kept squeezing his hand as her life depended on it.
"Okay, I think I won't feel my hand in a few minutes. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She kept looking outside if the window.
Robert turned off his car as they arrived.
"Andy, look at me. What's wrong." He took her chin to make her look at him.
"Nothing. Everything. I just don't want this day to end. That's all."
"We have plenty of days. This is only the beginning."
"I know but you know I'm very impatient person."
He chuckled as her statement and took her hand to kiss it. "I know. But taking it slow. This time we are doing it right. You know I'm just a text away."
"I know."
With that they kissed. One kiss turned out to be making out for a few minutes until Andy broke it and opened the door.
"If... I don't leave now I might not be able to stop." She said getting out of the car.
"Uhm... yeah." Andy came back to kiss him one more time and closed the door waving at him.
This was the first night Andy could sleep properly. No sleeping pills, no counting the sheeps backwards...
"Guys, I have a question for y'all..." Robert aaid while they all eat breakfast in the beanery.
They all looked at him waiting to hear what he has to say, thankfully Beckett are not eating with them.
"Andy's birthday is coming up so I wanted to do something for her. She made her amends and worked on herself for the past few months. We are now working on our marriage so I wanted to include all of you because she is feeling like she is losing you all." They all nodded in agreement.
"Dean I know she's been very helpful with Pru and all but I think it's time for her to go home." Robert teases.
"Oh man, I will need a new babysitter now." Dean hit him playfully in the arm.
"She's that good with her? What can I say man, after 2 months of working on our marriage I think she can come back."
"She is so good with Pru and I'm glad you two worked things out, man." Dean said.
"We all are." Others joined.
"So about the party... she can't find out... we will do it at my house so it will be less suspicious."
"I'll text Theo to try to keep her occupied." Vic said.
They discussed plans further. Vic informed Theo about everything so he can watch her moves before shift finishes.
Everyone left the beanery and Robert stayed alone looking in the distance...
He just got out of the shower and got dressed. Getting down to the kitchen to get some water the phone rang.
It was Andy...
"Hey, you up?"
"Yes..."
"I really wouldn't ask this but... we had a really hard shift and..."
"I'll text you the address." He said before she finished.
Usually for the past 2 months they would go out and be together because Robert didn't want her at his house. Not yet. But tonight she seemed like she needed him and it was late. It's been two months so maybe that unwritten and unsaid rule can't be forgotten. He knows how this will go. She needs him and he needs her. Making love to each other they pushed away to work on themselves but once she is here that can't be avoided. Too much tension, too much needing of feeling each other deeper that just kissing.
She was there within 20 minutes. The house looked similar but bigger than previous one.
"I like the house." She said observing the main floor.
"Thanks. Upstairs are 3 bedrooms abd 2 baths and roof balcony." Robert said making her cacao.
"That's pretty big house for just one person..." She smiled trying to hide the awkwardness.
"Here." He handed her a cup. "Come here." Tapping the place next to him on the couch and completely ignoring her last statement.
She sat down, getting her legs up as well she perfectly fit next to him. Robert hugged her with one arm pulling her closer to him. His hand lightly caressing her cheek.
"I could get use to this..." Andy blurted between sipping the cacao.
"Andy..." Robert grunted.
"No, no... sorry I get it..."
"You don't. Listen. As I told you I moved because everything reminded me of you and I didn't want to bring you here because there wasn't a point if this marriage won't work." He looked at her.
"So... what made you change your mind?" She asked shyly almost whispering.
"I've seen that you are changed in a lot of ways and I like what I see... I know once you come here I'll just want to make love to you and we needed to put that as a last thing in our process of reunion. I had a million reasons to let you go and never looked back, especially after... yeah that..." Andy puts down the cup so she can be fully turned to him.
"I found one good reason to give you a chance. I regret a lot of things that I didn't do in my life but I saw that you regret more than me and that's what made things easier for me to give you a chance..." He again looked at her. Andy's eyes filled with tears.
She didn't say anything just sat in his lap, both legs on each side of him, cupping his face and placing a long kiss to show her gratefulness for everything.
"I promise you here and now I will forever be grateful for that extra chance and everything you did. I love you to the point mu chest hurts jf I don't see you every day. I don't want this ever end... You and me." With that she kissed him once more time.
That was enough for Robert to put his hands under her sweater and pulled her closer kissing her jawline then her neck.
Even dressed she could feel his growing erection.
"I think it's time to explore your bedroom." She whispered on his ear while placing kisses all over his neck.
He stood up with her wrapping her legs around his waist and they went to the bedroom.
He slowly placed her down unhooking her bra in the proces, then taking off her sweatpants and placing went kisses from her panties to her breasts and sucking them while taking off her jumper.
"Not fair." She chuckled and took off his shirt.
Robert being much taller it was easy for Andy to just sit in the bed and take off his sweatpants while he stands.
He immediately pushed her down and climb over her.
"I missed you." She said taking off his boxers and running her hands over his torso.
"Me or..."
"Everything..."
"Then prepare yourself." He warned.
"Challenge accepted!" She giggled between kisses.
That night that they both waited for so long was marked as their comeback. Showing love and appreciation for every move each of them made. Being gentle with one another, giving a chance to express themselves.
Making love to them wasn't just about getting their orgasms. It was about showing and loving every part of their body. Art nonetheless.
"Oddly annoyed I have to say." Theo teased seeing Andy not all smiley.
"I can't believe it was 4 days that we saw each other." Andy started complaining to Theo as their finished their shift.
"And it's my birthday today and I just got the 'Happy Birthday'." She said with sadness.
Theo knowing why, he hust chuckled seeing her being all mad.
"You are expecting to get laid again..."
"Theo, really?!"
"We all noticed you changed..." he hit her playfully.
"Now c'mon we need a drink to toast to you getting old."
"Ha-ha very funny. Very funny. Do we have to?"
"Yes, we have!"
Being at Joe's for drinks was just a part of the plan so they can all prepare everything at the boat house. Theo constantly checked for Vic's messages and Andy of course noticed.
As the phone chimed they left the bar, said their goodbyes and went home.
All the drive to the boat house she was thinking back at that night they both enjoyed very much. They did all the things they loved to do back where everything seemed so easy. Just thinking of Robert she got butterflies in her stomach.
She entered the house, threw her duffel bag on the floor and got some water.
"I'm alone on my birthday, just great..." As she said it at loud her phone chimed. It was a text from Robert.
"Can you get outside?"
A huge smile appeared on her face seeing the text. She ran outside and saw him standing near the car.
"Happy Birthday, beautiful!" He shouted opening his arms.
Andy was in his embrace in seconds.
"Thank you!" She buried her face deeper into his chest.
"After you..." He opened the door for her.
"Where are we going?" She asked while they were driving.
"To the place where we were the happiest." He took her hand and kissed it.
Before they got into the house he stopped her.
"Before we get in... here is one of many presents..."
"Many?" She asked taking the box.
It was too big for a ring box but too small for a necklace box. She shaked it first but nothing.
"Open it." Robert smiled.
Andy opened the box and seeing a key in there malted her heart. Eyes were already full of tears.
"Is this...?" She looked surprised and kept holding her hand on her mouth.
"Welcome to our new home, wifey." Robert said hugging her tightly.
Seconds later she left tears fall down and Robert whipped them away. On her surprise he lifted her to take her inside the house.
"We never done this before..." He smiled and placed a kiss on her lips.
Opening the door everyone jumped shouting "Happy Birthday" which left Andy in more shock than before.
Robert let her down and she hugged everyone individually.
"Guys, I'm speechless. I don't know what to say, really..."
"You have to know you will always be a part of 19." Travis said and everyone nodded.
Robert came from the back and hugged her with one arm.
"Told ya you don't have to worry about anything."
They all spent a few hours together, talking and making jokes. Like the old times. When they all left Andy started to clean the mess that left.
"Already making herself feeling like home..." Robert started teasing her while leaning towards her.
"Leave that, come here to dance with me." He turned the volume on.
Feeling like old times they danced trough the living room occasionally kissing and spinning.
She was finally back where she belonged and either of them couldn't be happier. This time both of them knew that was it.
This is forever.