Author's Note: Surprise! I'm back! :) This came to my head after I was watching Jandy from 1x01 and this is how I wished the scene at the hospital happened. Very differently, if you couldn't figure that out already. After Andy screamed at Jack for what happened to her dad and it basically being his fault (poor bby) and he just walked away, so resigned, what happened? The Jandy-end-game we (me) were all hoping for. My hopeless romantic heart couldn't take what happened in the show. So here is what my hopeless-romantic heart came up with instead. :) I would love to know your thoughts if there are still some readers out there. :)

What If You Found Me


"You're upset about before. You're mad about the ring. And now you're scared about your dad – "

"Are you kidding me? You think for I care even a little about a stupid engagement ring right now when my dad might not wake up!?"

She watched Jack walk away, and she took a few deep breaths, determined not to lose it right now, and also determined not to call out to him. She was lying to him, to herself and maybe she did care about that stupid engagement ring. Even a little. But then she remembered. It was like a shock to the system, all over again.

Her dad. Her dad was here, lying in a hospital bed, and he might not wake up. Ever again. It wasn't like…this was different. This was equal odds, life or death and just like that she couldn't breathe again, just like that her eyes filled with tears, and she was in so, much, pain emotionally that her body was feeling it, too. She ached everywhere, a deep, bone-chattering ache and she couldn't face anybody, not right now.

"Herrera, hey, you okay?"

Meredith was talking to her again and Andy vaguely remembers registering some words she'd spoken before, something about joining her, her dad being here, Bailey, labs, maybe not in that order but it was close enough.

With her team watching her like they were, still bodies, concerned gazes, their pain a fraction of hers (but she says that selfishly, knows it's closer to her pain than she's thinking, but that hurts her even more than shouldering it all herself), Andy can barely afford to shake her head at Meredith's question, not wanting them to see her as less than, as weak.

But she wasn't okay, and she might never be again. Fifty-fifty chance.

"Here, come with me." Meredith took her hand and pulled her away from all of them, Maya, Dean, Travis, Vic…they were all depending on her, and she couldn't even appear like she was handling everything well.

She wasn't, at all, but she wished she could at least summon the strength to act like it. Acting captain she was not. At least, not a very good one. Tears welled in her eyes again – what would her Papi say if he was here, watching her? She didn't even want to think about it. She didn't want to think about anything, at all, actually.

The sobs caught in her throat were enough to keep her quiet, not that she was much in the mood for talking as she and Meredith walked down what was seeming like an endless hallway and at the end of which was a supply closet. What –

Before she could even try to speak around the heaviness of her oncoming cries to voice her question aloud – why the hell are they in front of a supply closet and how is this going to help her – Meredith was pushing her inside and shutting the door, keeping her back facing Andy.

"Go ahead," Meredith told her softly, and she wasn't using her doctor voice anymore, it was different it felt like her normal, human, voice, as if the woman were trying to level with her.

She couldn't imagine how on earth she and Meredith were on the same level, having no idea what kind of tragedies – if any, a wealthy surgeon like her has experienced in her lifetime so far, but Andy didn't particularly want to take too much of an investment in Dr. Grey's personal history right now, no offense to her.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do, but suddenly, she felt as though she had no choice in the matter as her body took over, her instincts kicking in as she began to sob. These deep, bone-chattering cries, a tragic vocalization of the pain she's been holding tightly to on the inside, not feeling comfortable, or ready, to let it free.

She wasn't particularly comfortable now, in this small space, clocking Meredith's presence, even with her eyes shut, and even though Andy knew she wasn't watching her, she still felt the woman there, and while she was somewhat of a buoy and a comfort through this process, as a surgeon on her dad's case, and maybe, she thought, naively, if he – if they – make it through this experience, a friend.

Andy could maybe see Meredith as a friend, one day but still, and again, no offence to her, she's not the person she wants with her now. She's not the person she wants holding her while she cries and falls apart like this.

God, she wanted him here now. She was missing him so much she felt her body ache double-time in yearning for him as much as it ached for her Papi, and how she needed him to wake up, to be okay. It felt terrible. If half of this pain could go away by having him here, she'd take that in a heartbeat.

She couldn't believe she was so callous with him now that she's reflecting and not as fired up as she was out there. How…she knew that he was sorry, the pain in his eyes nearly rivalling hers at the thought of their captain, her dad, and his fate almost decided for him in one, blinding, second. He saw a kid's room and veered off course, and Pruitt was a grown man, an experienced firefighter, a captain, he knew how to take care of a team, and he knew how to take care of himself just as well and Jack knew that, so she couldn't blame him like she was, could she?

God, she missed him, her tears falling and her stomach shaking with her sobs, not letting up in the least bit. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but maybe she'd start with I'm sorry. I love you and I'm sorry and let's do it, let's get married. I want this. I want you. I want to get married to you.

Suddenly, Andy felt arms around her, tight and strong. Familiar arms. They took charge, pulled her body down and against an even stronger chest and she relaxed, her body knowing things first, before her head had a chance to catch up, her thoughts enshrouded with the fogginess that comes with a long, loud, cry.

"Jack…Jack…this isn't happening, right? My dad? He's going to be okay. He'll wake up?"

"Sh…baby, I'm here, I'm here and everything is going to be okay. Soon, okay?"

She opened her eyes, but wouldn't meet his, too ashamed, too sad. Instead, Andy was seeking out Meredith, but she didn't see her anymore. She only felt one presence in the room now, and it took up all of the space inside of her.

"Jack…how are you here?"

She heard him sigh heavily, sink down against the wall, her body moving with him. "Meredith. She heard you asking for me…she heard it in your cries…oh, baby…" he murmured, kissing her hair, moving sweaty, messy, strands of hair out of her face.

She couldn't help the way her crying started up again, but slowly this time, less intense. She felt better. As much as she could in this moment, anyway, and she attempted again to speak around her tears. It was easier now.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I know that this isn't your fault. You did what you had to do. My dad isn't a kid, he's not a Probie, he knows what he's doing, and you knew that. Things just happen and I – it's not your fault, Jack. If anything happens…it's not your fault, babe. I can't have you carrying that guilt around because of me. I won't."

He kissed her forehead. "I love you. I love you, Andy, and I hear you, okay, but please don't think like that. Pruitt is going to wake up. He's strong." He trails his thumb gently across her lower lip, making something flutter in her chest, unobtrusive and warm. Sweet. "Just like his daughter."

"Yes."

Jack looked at her, tilting his head to the side, confused. And he had a reason to be. That word seemed random in this context now, but he'd understand in a second.

"What?"

She smiled lightly at him, took his hands in hers, traced her finger lightly over the knuckle of that finger on his left hand, where a ring will one day hopefully be.

"I want to get married. I want to get married to you. I care, Jack. I care a lot, actually, about that stupid, little engagement ring. In fact, I care so much that I want it on my hand, right now."

He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. He was trying to find the words that he'd obviously buried far down in his subconscious, especially after tonight, and when she yelled at him in the hallway like she did. She didn't blame him, and she wouldn't blame him again. Or she'd try.

She'd probably blame him for some things, though, in their life, like not taking the laundry out of the dryer when she asked, or letting their kids have two juice boxes each before getting in the car and driving two hours to that cabin that he loves for their little mini summer vacation, because he's the reason they had to make four stops on the way. Two for each kid. She smiles at that image, surprised at herself.

She hadn't even realized that kids were on her radar, or marriage for that matter, until he showed up for her in this hospital supply closet and didn't run away when she got angry. Now, when she looks at him after that, she sees everything. A life with him. A life that includes a family, one that he's always dreamed of since he was a kid himself. She wants to give him everything he wants. Everything.

"I mean it," she said, when he failed to make his mouth form words. She almost laughed. "I love you, Jack Gibson. I fell in love with you that night without even trying. It just…it scared me when you said you loved me. Not a lot of people in my life have said that to me and – and meant it like you did and…I love you, too."

His mouth seemed to be working now as his lips curved up into an even bigger smile. "Andy Herrera, you are my family. You are everything to me. I love you so much, and I know that I won't ever stop, even if you had said no, I don't think I would stop loving you so thank you, baby, for saving me a world of pain and saying yes." He chuckled, running his hand down the length of her face. "Thank you."

He took the box out of his uniform pocket, where he'd clearly stashed it again, opened it, and took the ring out, sliding it on her finger. He brought that hand up and kissed her knuckles, then turned it over and kissed her palm before giving it back to her, letting it drop gently on to her lap.

"It's beautiful," she took in all of its intricacies, breathing out a sharp gasp of surprise. She hadn't looked at it up close before, too shocked to do much of anything at the time. "I love it." She stared up at him, at his eyes never straying too far from her. "I love you."

"And I love you," he said back to her in kind, softly kissing her lips and then pulling back from her.

"We should probably leave this closet…where does the team think you are?"

Andy arched an eyebrow, pretty damn curious now as to what kind of flimsy excuse Jack managed to give them. He couldn't have very well said – I'm going to comfort my girlfriend who is currently losing her shit in a supply closet' She smiled to herself, mentally inputting the quick correction. My fiancée.

"I told them I was going to get a coffee." He shrugged.

"Oh my god," she laughed, "but it's been like twenty minutes!"

Jack quirked a smile at her. "I didn't say cafeteria coffee. I could have went to a Starbucks for all they know."

She laughed and at her reaction his smile got bigger as he looked down at her hand, the ring glistening on her finger. "Maybe I should have added that I was going to get engaged, too. Who knows how much time that would have bought us."

She laughed again as he nuzzled her neck, kissing her throat softly. "Maybe enough time for some post-engagement sex, hm?"

She didn't make quick work of pushing him away, because it felt too good and it was making her feel better about the whole reason they ended up here in the first place, mhm endorphins, but she did raise her eyebrow. "In a supply closet?"

Jack chuckled warmly against her skin. "I heard that's the kind of thing they do here."

"Oh yeah? From whom?" She was entertaining him a little bit, but come to think of it, Andy's thinking that she's heard the exact same thing, once upon a time.

"I don't know…people…" he trailed off, his mouth paving a path from her clavicle to her throat, moving up her neck, achingly slow.

She moaned, she couldn't help herself, but still, she was quiet. "Is this like…our make-up sex and engagement sex all in one?"

She moaned again when his laughter hit her skin, reverberating against it in all the right places. "Yeah…yeah, I guess it is. So that's not a lot to live up to at all."

Andy reached for his hand, trailed it down her body and pressed it into her belt buckle, urging him. "Don't worry, babe. You can do this. And I'm no slouch," she murmured, kissing him now, nipping at his bottom lip and not at all gentle. "I'll contribute where I can…"

Suddenly, there was a hard knock on the door, and when Andy squints, she could see the outline of Meredith's body outside the door, her back turned still to the window. Andy had no idea how long they've really been in here, but long enough, she assumed, for Meredith to know what they've been doing. Especially if she's the people Jack referred to earlier, but then again, she doesn't exactly seem like the type.

The two of them laughed, their heads pressed together as a burst of happiness made it's way through them. They got themselves in order and Jack helped her up off the floor, his gaze going to her ring again as he didn't quite let her hand go, yet.

"I guess it's time to tell them about us. God, they are going to be so confused. And shocked. They had no idea anything was going on between us," Andy said, the realization of it all coming down on her in this moment. "And my dad. Oh, Papi, I have no idea how he'd react to this."

"I asked him. Before I proposed to you. I asked him what I should do, and he said to do what my heart tells me to do. He has no idea that you were the girl, but he'll know soon enough and Andy, I think Pruitt will be proud. He wants you to be happy. And if he knows that I make you happy…then…"

She grinned at him. "You do make me happy."

He squeezed her hand. "Then that should be enough. Come on, let's go blow everybody's minds."

"Andy," Maya rushed over to her first, as expected and pulled her by the hand into a hug that was so not typical of Maya Bishop, but she knew that there was probably still remnants of tears on her face, and she kind of hoped there were, because she knew she must look flushed and that would be harder to hide without the tears excuse. "Are you okay? You were just gone, and nobody knew where you went and – "

Her eyes settled over somewhere behind her, likely on Jack, standing there, and somehow, Maya seemed to just know. It was like a best friend intuition of sorts. She stared down at Andy's hand, holding it in her own, flipping it over and seeing the ring and the diamond nestled in the centre.

"Oh Andy…" Maya sighed, bending her head close. "Did – did he ask you again? Now? That's not right. He knows you're vulnerable and hurting and would probably say yes to just about anything and – I'm gonna kill him."

Andy reached for her just as Maya lunged out of her grasp, one that was subtle, but there, because she was afraid Maya might try something like this. "Maya, no. No, okay, don't go doing anything. Jack didn't strike when the time was right, he didn't manipulate me into saying anything. I promise."

Maya stopped fighting her, looked into her eyes, trying to find something that was broken, faulty, like she were lying, but found nothing. "He didn't?"

"No. He didn't. He found me. I – uh – "

She cleared her throat, feeling herself start to get emotional again. "Meredith took me to a supply closet. I cried there, for awhile, and I guess.."

She blushed, embarrassed now. She felt weak, weak for needing someone other than herself, but she did, and she had to come to terms with that, and how it wasn't weak – far from it. It takes more strength to acknowledge needing help than pretending to not need it at all. It's what her Papi would have said.

"I was crying and…I guess I was saying his name, too, like I needed him. Wanted him there with me. And so Meredith went and got him and – and he comforted me, he was there, even though I yelled at him and told him basically that my dad was all his fault, that he was reckless, and stupid and – "

"He showed up." Maya filled in simply for her with a small smile in Jack's direction.

"He showed up," Andy repeated, giving Jack a smile of her own over her shoulder. "And I love him. For that and many other reasons that I know you can't begin to understand," she chuckled, "but I do. I love him and he proposed and so I said yes, because I want to marry him as much as he wants to marry me."

Maya hugged her again and Andy held on for a longer time than either of them was used to from each other but that was okay. This was a hugging moment. "Do you want to tell them? Are you ready to tell them, An?"

"Yeah." She nodded and stepped away from Maya, then up to Jack, grabbing a hold of his hand. "As long as you're ready?"

Jack shrugged but she could see that he was smiling or doing a very bad job at holding one back, which made her smile, too. "We have to tell them sometime, right? Besides, these guys can use a little happy right now…assuming they'll be happy once the shock wears off."

They told them all at once. There was a million questions, how this was going to affect the station, their dynamic as a team, the captain's race, whether or not they've done it on or near so and so's gear, but the most asked, and most promising question was are you two happy? Because that was the root of it, wasn't it? Happiness? And they were. Incredibly. As happy as we can be with everything that's going on right now. Is this…okay with everyone? Because if not…

"Andy, no offence, but what are you going to do if it's not? You and Jack are clearly head over heels for each other – that is so stupidly obvious now – so who are we to stand in the way of that? We wouldn't be part of your team, and we certainly wouldn't be your friends."

Travis told her this with pure, unfiltered honesty. It was so Travis that it made her eyes water again.

"Thanks Trav. I – uh – I really appreciate how cool everybody is about this. Jack and I – it means so much to have your support. Especially right now."

Jack hugged her to him and kissed the side of her head and somehow the spell of whatever weird silence was going on right now was broken, maybe it was shock, they were just processing – Jack and Andy? Together? Together-together? Secretly hooking up right under our noses and now they're engaged? It was a lot. She would give them that. So, she wasn't offended by the silence, but not to say she didn't feel better now that it was no longer so quiet.

"Congratulations Andy, Gibson." Maya was first. Of course she was. "We obviously love you both and totally support this union and wish you every bit of happiness the world has to offer." She sounded stiff, jilted. Everyone was going to know that she already knew.

"Hang on – "

Vic was next, the first one to ask. Of course she was. "Bishop, you already knew, didn't you?"

"Kind of," Maya admitted. "But not that she said yes. That was a brand new development."

Dean rolled his eyes, giving Jack a sweet, brotherly, hug, slapping him on the back. "Wow man, so her best friend knew but not yours?"

He pulled back and gave Jack a scrutinizing look. He didn't seem upset or anything, which was comforting.

"It just…it never came up, man. I'm sorry. But you know now."

"And I guess that's all that matters. I'm happy for you, Jack. You deserve it, man. You both do."

Vic was admiring her ring, and so was Travis and then Maya of all people cheered and then Vic caught on, then came Travis and then Dean, and everyone was dancing around in place, and Jack took her in his arms and twirled her around like a fool and for a minute, she had forgotten where they were and this moment, right here, was absolutely perfect.

Until she remembered. But her world didn't have a chance to come crashing down again because her dad was awake. Groggy, but awake. Funny thing about noise, if there's too much of it, and it's too loud, it wakes people up. This obviously wasn't the case for her dad, but it was a little bit funny that he'd woken up just as they were right outside the opened door of his hospital room, Meredith beaconing for them to come in.

"Why is everybody so happy, huh? I was thinking you'd be convinced that I was dying or something and this would be a somber occasion? Why is my team all dancing around like idiots?"

Vic looked at Travis, Travis looked at Dean, Dean looked at Jack and Jack…looked at Maya, and Maya looked at her. Great. So her fiancé wasn't much in the mood for talking, clearly. But it could wait.

Andy went in first, careful to conceal her left hand behind her back (because there was no other way to make it less obvious, trust her, if there were, she would have done it) and sat down in the chair beside his hospital bed. "Papi, you're okay. "

Pruitt smiled, reaching out to caress her cheek. "I'm more than okay, Mija. You guys saved my life. I knew I did the right thing, putting this team together."

Maya cleared her throat from just outside as Meredith slipped out of the room to give them some time once his vitals were checked and cleared. "Um – An, don't you want some time alone with your dad? And Jack, too, maybe? We can – uh – come back later. We'll just go now, okay?"

Maya was giving her a look that screamed tell him and she gave her one right back that was saying at the same volume I don't really want to give him a heart attack and then finally, Jack stepped into the room with her, nodding at Maya and closing the door as Maya led the rest of them out of the hallway and into, presumably, the waiting room.

Okay. So, Jack was ready then. Maya basically gave him no choice, but still. Andy followed his cue and took a deep breath, looking down at her dad. He looked at her, confused, and he had a valid reason to be. In his mind, there's no real reason for Jack to be in his hospital room right now, alone, with him and his daughter.

"Papi…" Andy started, then took another breath.

This shouldn't be this hard. Her dad likes Jack fine, maybe even more than fine, thinks he has guts, is a good firefighter, but will he think that Jack Gibson is good enough for his little girl? Who could say but Pruitt? The only thing was, to find out, she had to tell him. Tell him everything.

"Jack and I…we started up – um – a relationship. We've been in a relationship for awhile now, long enough that I have fallen in love with him. But it's not just that…"

Andy took her hand, her left hand, and firmly held Jack's, and as their fingers intertwined, his thumb automatically went and stroked hers, as it always does, but his finger also stroked her ring, and it felt absent minded, but Andy knew it wasn't. It was too new to be. He was trying to make a point, to make her dad look a little closer.

Pruitt looked down at their hands, and back up at their faces, bright and alive with happiness. Well, she didn't have a mirror handy, but she certainly felt lively and bright on the inside. Her dad's face stretched into what wasn't exactly a forced smile, but it wasn't an easy one, either. It was a start. She couldn't really expect much more, could she? He'd been in the dark about it all.

"You're engaged. So, Gibson, it was my daughter you were talking about that day, huh? When I told you to follow your heart?"

"Yes, sir, Pruitt, Captain, I – yes. Look, I would have told you I was talking about Andy, hell, I would have asked for your permission, if things were different. We know your rules, and how tough you are about them, and I wasn't even planning on asking her today…it just…happened."

He looked at her, she looked at him, an understanding about what it just happened means crossing both of their features. As far as they were concerned now, her hesitation was in the past.

"Papi, Jack makes me happy. Really happy. And I'm a big girl, I can make decisions on my own. About whom I choose to date, who I choose to love, and who I choose to marry and settle down with. We wanted to make sure this was real, that it was going somewhere, before we told anyone, and – we told the rest of the team tonight, too. And they're happy for us. They understand why we kept us a secret, and I – we – hope that you can, too."

Surprising her, her dad smiled. Grinned, actually. "I can tell. I can tell that you're happy, Mija. It's obvious. And Jack, you're like a son to me, you know that, and you're right, Andrea, you can choose who you want for yourself, and I'll support you. I do support you. I love you, Andrea, and I want nothing more than for you to be happy in whatever life you choose because – "

"Herrera?" Meredith interjected, but she was quiet, almost like she maybe felt bad. Like she knew she was interrupting something happy. "I need to speak with you. And your dad I – "

Her dad looked at her, back and forth between her and Jack. He didn't seem surprised by Meredith's entrance, in fact, he seemed…almost prepared for it. "Jack…if you could stay here, too, please. I'd really appreciate it. And Andrea, you're going to appreciate it in a minute, too."

Andy's eyes moved to Meredith. She was scared now. What the hell was this? What is going on? She held onto Jack's hand tighter, somehow knowing, other than by what her Papi said, that she was going to need his support, to physically feel him with her to know that he was there. This was clearly something bad.

"What is it?"

"Andy – "

"Andrea – "

Her Papi interjected, patting her knee. "I have cancer. That's…that's why I'm so glad to see you happy, settled, now, because I don't know how much longer I'll have to see it."

Andy collapsed against Jack, feeling his arms wrap around her again the same way they did earlier in the supply closet. The word cancer felt like acid on her tongue, burning her lips and heavy in her mouth. "Cancer? You have cancer?"

"Andy…" Meredith's voice was soft, assured, and it felt like, to her, gone was the doctor-voice and in it's place was someone who was genuinely concerned for her, for her family. Her Papi. "Pruitt is going to be fine. With treatment, he should be able to fight it in a six months time, give or take. We caught it early enough in its stage. He's going to be okay."

Meredith eyed her dad. "Don't scare your daughter too much, Mr. Herrera. You're going to be fine. We talked about this. Let her enjoy her good news about her beautiful engagement without this diagnosis spoiling it. Because, you know what, it doesn't matter. We get you in for treatment as soon as possible, and on Dr. Bailey and my watch, you will be good as new."

Meredith looked at Andy now, then Jack, with a smile on her lips. It was more of a friendly smile than a cordial one, and suddenly Andy was thankful for that. Her and Meredith and Ben's wife, Dr. Miranda Bailey were going to be a team. And Jack of course. She couldn't forget about her fiancé. "Congratulations you two. Soak it up. You get one great love in this lifetime so enjoy it."

Back at the station, Andy took his hand and hopped down from the rig. She stood with him and admired her ring, looked up at him and smiled, leaning in to give him a kiss that he readily reciprocated. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands tightened on her hips as he pushed her back against the parked truck they had just gotten out of.

Jack flicked on the lights and sirens just as her eyes fell closed and she popped up from under him, laughing after the momentary shock of it wore off.

She looked at him, at the childish, cute, playfulness in his eyes, mixed with that wolfing desire as he leaned down to capture her lips again.

One great love. They get one great love in this lifetime, and they were going to enjoy it.