I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters.
Set after The Proposal.
AU after series 4 - Series 4 finale, Sam was still shot, but Andy stayed with Nick and now they are married. Andy/Nick.
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Chapter 18: Night away with Clare.
One of the first people to call Andy had been her mother, who had instantly wanted to offer her daughter support at such a time. It had been a week since Andy's dad had had his heart attack and he was still unconscious. Andy had hardly left his side and Nick was concerned, because she was barley sleeping or eating and her mother also shared this concern, as well as Tracey, who could see in how much pain her best friend was. Andy knew that, in some way, her dad could hear her, so she kept talking to him, with the vain hope that, one day, he would wake up and speak to her and she knew that Nick understood why she wanted to be so close to him, even if he was worried about her.
Unknown to Andy, her husband and mother had arranged for Andy to go away to a hotel for one night, with Clare; she couldn't bear to see her daughter like this and she wanted to give her some relief from the pain, even if it was only for a short while. Clare knew that she would need her son-in-law in order to convince Andy to go away with her, even for only one night, but she was sure that, if anyone could do it, Nick could.
Andy had just returned from the hospital when Nick returned from the station and his heart broke when he saw how tired she was. How defeated she looked, even when she was stroking Jem, who was sitting at her feet. The pup knew that she was sad. Without saying anything, he knelt in front of her, took hold of her hands and kissed her before saying, "Andy, your mum wants to take you somewhere for the night, just so you have a little bit of a break." He was braced for a battle, but Andy was so tired that she just smiled and nodded. She knew that he was right, even if, in some ways, her mother was the last person she wanted to be around now, when her dad was in hospital, fighting for his life.
Clare had booked a room in a luxury hotel for her and Andy for the night, so Andy said goodbye to Nick and Jem and left for an evening away from the hospital; she knew that she needed a break and she also knew that Nick was worried about her and she didn't want him to be and her mother only wanted to help her. They arrived at the hotel before dinner, changed, then went down to the dining room. Andy texted her husband, to tell him she was there and he told her that he was with her dad, so there was no need for him to worry.
"Was that Nick? I've always liked that boy, Andrea, and so has your father. He makes you happy." Clare remarked as their food arrived.
Andy just nodded and replied, "Yeah. Yes, he's a good man." She paused; she wanted to tell her mum that she and Nick were trying to have a baby, but now didn't feel like the right time, so, instead, she asked, in a most neutral tone possible, "Have you been to see Dad?" She fixed her mum with her brown eyes.
Sighing, Clare answered, "No. No, I haven't. I didn't want to make your father's girlfriend feel uncomfortable and I wanted to be around to support you." She paused, then reached out for her daughter's hand and said, "Your father is a good man and a great father, to you."
Suddenly, Andy's feelings felt as if they were starting to boil over and she glared at her mother and snapped, "How would you know? You weren't there. You left us! Maybe the reason you haven't gone to see Dad is because you feel guilty."
To Andy's surprise, her mother did not look surprised; Clare had expected this and she was prepared. Even though she and Andy were close, this would always be between them, especially at such an upsetting and stressful time. In a very calm tone of voice, she stated, "Andrea, the only regret I have is leaving you behind. I'm not throwing mud at your father, but he wasn't an easy man to be married to and his alcoholism was around way before I left, believe me, so I have nothing to regret on that account."
"But Dad started to drink after you left, Mum and now he's in hospital! And you didn't just leave him- you left me!" Glaring and fighting back the tears, Andy whispered, "I love Dad so much and you'll never understand the bond he and I share because you left. I want to go home!"
She stood up and Clare did the same. "Andrea, I don't think you should go home. We can still have a great night here. Please. Some mother-daughter time."
For a couple of seconds, Andy remained totally still, but she already had some regrets with one parent and she did not want any with the other one and she imagined what Nick would say to her in this situation. How would he feel if his mother were standing there? He wouldn't walk away.
Without saying anything, Andy walked over to the other side of the table and hugged her mum and, suddenly, the built up of emotions came out and she started crying and clinging to her mum, just as she had done when she had been a child. No matter what had happened in the past, her mother was doing her best and Andy always looked for the best in people and her mum had become a part of her life. She did not know if her dad was going to survive. She needed her mother, now more than ever.
Andy and Clare ended up having a wonderful evening together, and, after their dinner, they went to the luxury hotel room and watched Rom-Coms, before finally talking about the early days of Andy's childhood, stories also involving Tommy and Andy knew that it had been her who had kept her parents together for as long as they had, but Clare had loved Tommy, once upon a time. Andy shared her worries about her and Nick trying for 2 months, but, like her husband, Clare told her not to worry about it.
The next morning, Nick was woken by Jem who wanted feeding at 6 in the morning, he gave the puppy some food, then went back to bed. The sound of the door of tehri flat opening and closing woke him again and he could hear Jem barking. Andy was home, so he rolled over in the bed and waited for her.
She walked into their bedroom, carrying Jem, then she dropped the pup on the bed, who ran over to her husband and started to lick his face. This made her laugh and she sat down, until Nick moved Jem away from him. "Hey. How was your night with your mother?"
Andy smiled, then kissed her husband, before she replied, "I'll tell you later. Right now, can we just be together."
"Of course." Nick replied, as he kissed her back and he could see Andy smiling, because Jem was sitting on the bed, wagging his tail and she burst out laughing because of the look on the puppy's face. Laughing, Nick remarked, "I think Jem here has a favorite and it isn't me." He waited, until they had both stopped laughing, before he whispered, "I love you, Andy."
Resting her head against his, Andy whispered back, "Love you, too." When Jem barked, Nick grabbed the pup and put him in between the two of them, as Andy added, "Yes- I love you, too, Jem!"