Rookie Blue fanfic – Meet the Parents. Set before the previous chapters about the Proposal.

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

AU –

After series 4 finale. Sam was shot, but Andy stayed with Nick. Andy/Nick. Takes place in series 6. Andy takes Nick to meet her divorced parents, Tommy and Clare, for the first time. I've made up the names of Nick's parents because we are never given them, but Nick's backstory is from the episode 'Moving Day.'

Andy and Nick had moved in a couple of weeks after their first-year anniversary, around the time when Sam had been shot. Their relationship was serious and, when they worked together, they were good partners and friends, and they both put effort into their relationship. Andy was never in any doubt that Nick was in love with her because he told her and she was also in love with him and he made her so happy. Now that they were living together and had been for almost a year, Andy wanted to take a big step in their relationship: She wanted Nick to meet her dad, Tommy, and her mum, Clare. Considering that Nick had lost his parents when he'd been 12, she knew it was a delicate situation, but her mother had only been back in her life for a couple of years and her dad was very protective and she loved Nick, so she wanted the three of them to meet.

It was the beginning of their shift and they were sitting in the car, waiting for a suspect to show his face and they had to be patient about it. Andy saw this as the perfect time to ask her boyfriend about this, considering his eyes were fixed on the road in that way that she thought was so attractive. Deciding to dive into the conversation, Andy just asked, "Nick, do you want to meet my parents?"

Keeping his eyes on the road, Nick responded to a question with another question, "Do you want me to meet your parents?"

Andy shrugged, even though Nick couldn't see her. "Well, yeah I do. I mean, you're an important part of my life and so are they- even my mother and I still can't believe that. But, yes, I want you to meet them. I'm sure they will love you. My dad certainly will."

Nick sighed and turned to face his girlfriend and replied, "Okay, but I don't tend to do well with parents. When I was going out with Gail, her parents hated me." He chuckled and added, "They still do."

"You don't need to worry about that. They'll love you." Andy paused and looked at her boyfriend, before she said, "Tell me something about your parents. You never really talk about them and I want to know about them."

There was a long silence and Andy could see flashes of things going through Nick's eyes and she was sure he was thinking about the night his parents died, before he shook his head and forced himself to focus on one spot: Her eyes. His voice was sad when he spoke, but also full of love. "They were good parents to me and Finn. I got away with more because I was the youngest and I knew it." He chuckled and continued, "Their names were Catherine and Peter and they were both teachers." Nick paused and his eyes became sad and he swallowed, and Andy kept her eyes connected to his. "I can't believe it's been almost 20 years since they died. They would've loved you, Andy." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

Andy smiled and squeezed his hand as she whispered, "I wish I'd known them, too. You loved them very much." Nick just nodded and cleared his throat, and looked back at the window, then turned back when Andy asked, "So, can I arrange for you to meet my parents?"

To her surprise, Nick started to laugh and he nodded. Andy watched them for a while as they talked; he didn't talk about his parents much and she understood that, but when he did talk about them, he was open and honest and wasn't afraid of still being sad about their deaths and she had seen him with Christian. She knew he was good with kids and he must have seen his parents act in the same way, when they'd been alive. He would make a good dad, Andy suddenly thought, then laughed and brushed the thought from her mind. She wasn't ready to have kids, but she knew it was something that Nick wanted.

Andy arranged to meet Tommy and Clare in a bar after her shift and she was amazed that her parents seemed to be so comfortable spending time together, considering their history, but she sensed that this was for her sake and they both wanted to meet the young man who had stolen Andy's heart. They had both met Sam, on separate occasions, but neither of them liked him now, so they were interested to meet this young man.

Her shift was over and Andy was in the locker room and she was surprised to see her best friend, Tracey, walking over to her, with a smile on her face. "I've just seen Nick and he says you guys are having dinner with your parents. Is that true?" Andy nodded as she put her earrings in her ears. "I mean, that's pretty serious, Andy."

Brushing her hair, Andy replied, "I know, but we do live together. I was a bit worried about asking him because his parents are dead, but he's fine with it." She was wearing a light, blue dress.

Tracey rested her back against her friend's locker and fixed her eyes on hers as she asked, "So, why are you so nervous? If it's not because it's a big step, what is it?"

Andy knew that there was no point in trying to hide something from a Detective, so she sighed and replied, "I love Nick. I really love him. He makes me so happy and we-we have a great time together. He feels like home, to me. But Dad and Clare didn't like Luke or Sam, so what if they don't like Nick? What do I do then?"

To her surprise, Tracey started to laugh and Andy gave her a curious look and waited for her to explain. "Andy, I've seen you and Nick together. You're great together, okay? Maybe the reason your dad didn't like Luke and Sam was because he knew they weren't right for you? The way Nick looks at you tells me he's the one and your parents will see that, too. Good luck." The two women hugged and then Tracey left.

As Andy was leaving, she overheard Sam and Marlo having an argument about the custody of their baby girl, Mya, and Andy walked past them. She didn't want to know about Sam and Marlo anymore.

The restaurant was a 2-minuete walk away from Division 15 and, as Andy walked outside, she saw Nick waiting by his truck. He was dressed in a suit and she thought he looked very handsome. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands went to her waist as she kissed him and whispered, "You look dashing, Officer Collins."

"So do you, Andy. Are you ready for this?"

Kissing him again, Andy nodded and replied, "Yes, I am. You're an important part of my life and I want my parents to meet you."

Andy was glad to see her dad had dressed up in a suit and her mum was wearing a very nice warm, red dress and she squeezed Nick's hand for support, but she was certain that she was more nervous than he was. There didn't seem to be any negative vibes from her parents, which was amazing for once. "Dad, Mum, this is Nick Collins. Nick, these are my parents, Tommy and Clare McNally."

Ever the gentleman, Nick held his hand out to her dad and then to her mother. "Detective McNally, I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Ms. McNally, it's also a pleasure to meet you." He smiled and shook their hands with his polite manner and Andy could tell from the look in her dad's eyes than he was accepted, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The four of them sat down at the table and Andy received as reassuring smile from her mother, which she appreciated. She was far more nervous than Nick was.

"So, Nick," Tommy began, "I hear you were over in Afghanistan. How long were you over here?"

"I was over here for two tours, sir. Four years." Nick replied, sounding very polite as he always did and Andy smiled to herself and hoped that her dad was not going to go into what she called 'interrogation mode', but this wish was not granted.

Whilst they ordered dinner, her mother and Nick engaged in conversation and they both seemed at ease with each other, which was a huge contrast to Sam, who had never trusted for liked her mother and it had been reciprocated, whereas Andy could already see that her mother approved of Nick and he seemed to like her. She also knew that, as soon as their food was there and Nick felt more at ease, her dad would go into his old habits of interrogating her boyfriend and she guessed that Nick also knew this. He was impressed by being addressed as 'sir', a habit which stuck with Nick since his days in the Army and Andy knew that her dad also respected Nick's service.

She and Nick both saw the retired Detective's body language change as he crossed his arms across the table. She saw her mother role her eyes slightly and she took hold of Nick's hand and squeezed it, for support, because she knew her dad and she knew what was about to ask. He had made enquiries about Nick and his past and she knew that Nick was also aware of this. "So, Nick, what happened to you after your parents died?"

Nick bit his lip for a couple of seconds. He had known that that question was coming from his girlfriend's father, but, even after these years, it was still a painful time to think about. "I lived with my uncle for a while, but that didn't work. I wasn't happy there, so I ran away, sir." He glanced at Andy, but she already knew this and he was sure that her dad did too, but her mother didn't. Her dad was testing his honesty and he knew it, so he looked straight at the older man as he continued, "I ran away from my uncle's and I stole a car and ended up driving it into a lake. It went on my Juvie record and I was placed in a group home and I was there for 3 years."

To Andy's surprise, her mother asked a question, in a very sensitive voice, "How old were you when your parents died, Nick?"

Looking down at the table for a couple of seconds, Nick was quiet and then he looked at Andy, before looking back at her mother and replying, "I was 12, Ms. McNally. They were killed by a drunk driver. I joined the Army because I had no family and I wanted somewhere to belong and I joined the police for the same reason and it was because I joined Division 15 that I met your daughter." He added, with a smile.

Without missing a single beat, Clare inquired, "Do you love my daughter?" Andy held her breath; her mother had asked Sam the exact same question and he had not been able to answer it, but Nick was not Sam.

Nick smiled and replied, "I love your daughter more than anything else. She's magical and she's the most amazing woman in the world and I would wait for however long it took just to be with her. Hopefully, we'll get married and have a family someday. I've never loved anyone like I've loved her."

Unable to help herself, Andy leaned over and kissed him as she whispered, "I feel the same way about you, Nick."

Tommy smiled and said, "Well, I'll raise a glass to that. Will you, Clare? Cheers to my-our daughter finding a man who's right for her." He laughed and Nick just nodded and smiled and Andy knew that he had been accepted by both of her parents and nothing in the world made her happier.

When the evening was finally over, Nick drove Andy to where his parents were buried and they stood in front of the grave. 'In loving memory of Catherine and Peter Collins. Loving parents of Finn and Nicolas and will always be missed.' Andy rested her head against Nick's shoulder and hugged him as he started to silently cry. It was an old pain, but it would never go away and Andy was glad that she was there with him.

Later, when they were lying in bed together, Andy asked, "Did you mean what you said- about getting married and having kids?"

Nick nodded and nuzzled her nose with his. "Yeah, I was. When we're ready. You'd be an amazing mum." He kissed her and whispered he loved her and whispered the same thing back, before he added, "They're two of the great adventures I want to have with you, Andy. Whatever we do, we'll do it together."

Andy smiled and kissed him back, as she whispered, "Of course we will. I love you, too." She looked into his eyes and smiled before closing her eyes and drifting off into a happy sleep.