4x16 (part V)

A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the interminable delay, again.

How are you all liking season 5?!

Against all odds, I liked the premiere, minus the Surrera break up, obviously, and the whole let's all hate Sullivan thing, but I think (or I want to think) they will get back together at some point. So, in the meantime, it's good drama. ;P

Can't say the same about 5x02. Even though I get why the writers "did" that to Andy, who's unmistakably having mental health issues, I'm not enjoying what she's doing to herself and to everyone who's ever loved her. I know it's fiction, but it was painful to watch. Thankfully, I got my hopes up after 5x03, I don't know why exactly, but her attitude changed a little and I liked it. And finally, 5x04! I loved it. God bless Dr. Diane Lewis. ;P

Anyways, this is the last part of this story. I hope I get inspired again soon!

Thank you always!

"Andy?"

"Hi" Herrera answered back, not sure of what else to say. She had rehearsed the conversation in her mind over and over, but once she saw him, it didn't matter, she was at a loss for words. How could she not be? He was a sight for sore eyes, offensively handsome, as usual, with a fully grown beard that had left her speechless.

"Hi" Sullivan echoed, confused by her presence. He certainly wasn't expecting her there. He would've expected a visit from Warren, maybe. Hell, even divorce papers in the mail. But his wife in person on his porch? That was definitely a surprise.

"Can I come in?" Herrera wondered, feeling so far and, at the same time, the closest she'd been for weeks to the man who once had been her safe place. Sullivan nodded and let her in, closing the door after her. When they were both inside, an awkward silence fell between them. Andy used it to look around the room, which brought her a feeling of deep sorrow. The place was minimalist and neatly organized as he liked. She smiled sadly, thinking how nervous he would get if he saw her messy captain's bunk. Had he found his new home there? Was he better without her?

"Nice place." She began, but she just received another nod for an answer. "So, Montana."

"Mhm." If she wasn't finding her own words, neither was her husband. "Everything all right?" He asked, probably noticing her painful expression. "Yeah" She assured, trying to sound convincing but failing miserably, as it was obvious she was about to cry. "Damn hormones." She thought, turning around to avoid eye contact. Robert didn't know what to do either, while dealing with his own inner battle. Was she there to tell him she was filing for divorce? She wasn't carrying any files. That was good. Wasn't it?

A few seconds later, Robert spoke. "How's everyone?" He opted for some shoptalk to break the ice. "Good, we're getting a new rookie next week. Do you remember Kat?" The captain told him.

"The cadet from the black out?" It was Herrera's time to nod. "Sure! I'm glad she made it."

"Yeah, me too. She's great." Andy added, putting both her hands in her back pockets. "I bet you had something to do with it." Sullivan gave her a small smile. "I did, yeah. I'm the captain now, although I'm pretty sure you already knew that." She continued, coming dangerously close to the heart of the matter that had brought her to his doorstep.

"I'm happy for you. You deserve it." He replied, sincerely. "Thanks." She had heard that many times since she'd become the captain of Station 19 and still didn't believe it. How could she have earned something that had caused her so much pain?

"Is it everything you've imagined?" She started to pace around, nervously. She had no idea of how to get to the point of the conversation where she begged him to work things out and come home to her and their baby. The baby! Well, that was another conversation. She had her last ultrasound picture in her hoodie's pocket and she considered for a minute to just take it out and show it to him. It would save her the struggle of looking for the right words, but she decided to wait.

"Not really" She simply said, restlessly rubbing her eyes.

"What? Why? Isn't the team taking it well? I mean, they sure prefer you." He joked, uncomfortably. "No, they're fine." She shrugged. "Then what?" Robert inquired, confused. She had gotten mad - or rather furious - with him because he had taken that very same job and yet she wasn't happy to finally have it.

"IT'S YOU, IDIOT!" Andy snapped, his obliviousness making her lose her patience.

"Me? I stepped down, I quit the job you wanted so you could have it!" Robert yelled back, but in a lower tone than the one she'd used. He didn't want to fight, it was so hard for him to go down that road again. Before she ghosted him for weeks, they had argued a lot and avoided the hard talk that should have come later until it reached a point of no return. In fact, he had the theory that if they had faced all of their problems in time, the last fight they've had wouldn't have been that big. That was probably his fault, but he didn't want to admit they needed to talk, he wanted to keep intact the only thing that made him feel good at that moment. He had never said it back, but she was also his safe place.

"I wanted YOU, Robert! I wanted US!" She retorted, looking away once again, to wipe the tears she had tried to hide two minutes ago and were finally rolling down her cheeks.

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it." It wasn't his intention to sound mean, especially since he had noted her crying, but she had hurt him too. "Andy, I tried." He added in a soothing way, feeling for her. Even rejected and with his ego seriously bruised by her actions, he couldn't stand seeing his wife suffering.

"I know." She acknowledged, remorseful.

"Andy, I can't do this." Her heart stopped for a second, before he continued. "I can't be married to someone who won't talk to me for weeks after a fight… I just can't. It was painful and humiliating and I don't want to live like that."

"It's not just me, Robert. We've been having communication issues for a while. I tried to talk to you when Maya was on bereavement leave and I was acting captain. We had that argument and it was you who didn't want to talk." Herrera defended herself.

"I didn't give you the silent treatment for weeks, Andy! I didn't move out to go live with my ex! You're right, we should've talked but I didn't give up on us." Robert returned.

"I was angry and I asked you for some time. I didn't give up! YOU DID! YOU LEFT US!" She paused abruptly to search for any reaction to the secret she had almost revealed, but he hadn't caught the remark that had been unconsciously blurted out.

"What was I supposed to do? Suck it up and be your lapdog? The team didn't want me as their captain and neither did you." Sullivan reproached her, his tone escalating with resentment.

"Yeah, that's the only thing that mattered to you!" Herrera retorted.

"There's nothing wrong with trying to get my career back, I've already paid for my mistakes, Andy. Even if you haven't forgiven me yet."

"This has nothing to do with your addiction, Robert! YOU TALKED TO THE CHIEF BEHIND OUR BACKS AND TOOK MAYA'S JOB!!" The rage in his wife's eyes was evident. He knew it had not been the best move, but he couldn't understand how his intentions had been that badly misinterpreted.

"I DID NOT TOOK MAYA'S JOB! IT WASN'T HERS ANYMORE! She had disobeyed a direct order, she was down already. I tried to keep the rest of our jobs! I should've offered you or Gibson for the position, and I am sorry about that, but I did not take anything from anyone! And the fact that you are so willing to advocate for your friend, who did this same thing two years ago, instead of your husband is something I don't get." Herrera tried to cut him, but he didn't let her. He had heard enough, but nobody had listened to him and it was about damn time. "I didn't mean to hurt you or Maya or anyone and if you think so little of me, maybe we shouldn't be together. I already got out of your way, Andy, I really don't know what else you want from me. But I do know I'm not taking anymore of your shit." When he finished, the latina was in floods of tears. She expected a tough converstion, but this was worse than she had foreseen. He was so deeply hurt that he was ready to let her go. What was she going to do?

"I didn't come here to fight, Robert." Andy pleaded, once she was able to talk again.

"Why did you come here then?" He inquired, annoyed.

"This must sound crazy after all I've said right now, but I came here to ask you to come home." She confessed, her eyes red from crying. Sullivan snorted, incredulous, and remained quiet. He was pissed, but he couldn't deny that she was saying exactly what he had wanted her to say for weeks. They might have a chance, but did he still want it? "Yes, I'm mad at you." She recognized, when she saw his reaction. "And you are too, obviously. But can we be mad at each other in the same State? And under the same roof?"

"God, Andy this is insane!"

"I know." Whatever she was doing, it wasn't working, and she was losing him. Maya's words, from the day she had warned her about this, were resonating in her head. "You might lose him forever if you keep pushing him away." "Get your head out of your pregnant ass." So it was time to bring out the big guns, she couldn't hold anything back if she wanted to convince him that she was serious. So she wept her tears for the hundredth time and looked him in the eyes. "I've been the idiot. I said things to Jack about our marriage that were wrong and I believe you've heard them. I'm a mess and I know you get hurt sometimes dealing with me. I also know I probably got angrier than I should have when you made this decision without talking to me first, but that's what my father did when my mom left and it hurt me a great deal, still does. The thing is I do love you and I'm sorry. It took you going away for me to realise that I can be happy not being a captain, but I can't be happy not being your wife." To say Robert was shocked was the understatement of the year. What was he supposed to say to that? He loved her, but he wasn't ready to risk his heart again.

"Andy" His beginning wasn't promising for Herrera's interests. She could feel he was reluctant, but he took pity on her painful expression and changed his speech. "I love you too, I just… I can't go through something like this again. What happens the next time we have a big fight? Are you going to tell the whole team what a bad husband I am? I'm already a joke to them, Andy."

"You're not! Maya called me off the other day and it was Ben's idea to look for you. We can work things out, Robert. We've been through worse than this." She reasoned, the hint of desperation evident in her voice.

"We can't work things out if you keep ghosting me, Andy. Have you any idea how it's been like not knowing how you are? I was… I thought I was going to lose my mind." Sullivan said, letting his walls down for the first time all day. His wife took advantage of the situation and got closer to him, she even ventured to reach for his hand, which he granted, to her surprise.

"If I promise I won't do it again, will you come home?" She wondered, hopeful and, at the same time, in a suggesting tone she knew he couldn't resist. Robert leaned down and pressed his forehead softly against hers. "Yes." He simply answered, well aware that he'd been played. The truth was that he'd have surrendered much easily if she had started their conversation as she had finished it, but they both had things to get out of their chests and he was glad that, despite all the issues they still had to deal with, their relationship was already on the mend. Andy grinned, her content and relief palpable as they finally shared a sweet, long awaited kiss.

"Pregnant" She blundered out, with a big smile, when they parted, gasping for air.

"What?" He asked, bewildered.

"That's how I am."

-THE END-