Well friends, season 6 is looking up. Seems like we just might finally be getting Surrea back. And lucky for you… the hope is keeping the muse active. Enjoy this update. Progress also loading on The Limits of Love & A Love Worth Fighting For – Ash!

"It's early and… you're not in bed," Robert answered the call that had become normal.

He could hear Andy moving about, but wasn't sure what she was doing. It definitely didn't sound like she was home and it was around 2 hours earlier than her usual call time these days.

Andy was annoyed to be running out at midnight to the corner store, but more so everything else in her life that just seemed so damn frustrating.

"Indigestion." She replied back simply.

Robert smiled a little remembering how she'd order food too spicy and while she could take the heat, her body usually let her know later that it didn't appreciate it.

"...lemme guess… spicy thai?" His tone shared his amusement.

Rolling her eyes as she sat the box of antacids on the counter in front of the cashier. "Don't act like I'm that predictable."

Andy wasn't trying to come off moody, but she wasn't censoring herself either. She didn't have it in her to fake it tonight.

Stretching out in bed and readjusting to get comfortable, Robert responded plainly. "Well… I was married to you."

Reluctantly, Andy replied. "Yes, spicy thai..."

Robert chuckled a little, "You could just order one less star like a normal person. Pretty sure no one would think less of you." He was teasing a little, but assumed their typical friendly banter would be welcomed.

"Right and then it wouldn't taste the same." Andy's response was matter of fact with absolutely no humor.

She whispered a quick thank you to the cashier, shoved her credit card back into the small pocket of her leggings and headed out of the store.

Offering another option, "Or buy antacids with your take out." Robert joked with a shrug though she couldn't see him.

Andy sighed loudly as she got in her crossover, slammed the door shut and locked it. "And avoid a late night run to 7/11… that would be too easy."

This time the annoyance in her voice couldn't be missed. "Someone's in a bit of a mood. Wanna..." Robert observed, but before he could finish his question was interrupted.

"I'm allowed to be in a mood, Robert." Andy bit back quickly.

Trying to clarify his statement and ease back into the dialogue, he began. "Okay, I was just…"

Interrupting again, Andy added, "...and for the record, that's borderline gaslighting." Was she being slightly ridiculous, yes, but she was no doubt frustrated and now seemed like as good a time as any to get some things off her chest.

Realizing he'd miscalculated just how much of a "mood" she was in, Robert laughed uncomfortably. "What?"

"You're making it seem like I don't have a good reason to be pissed, like how I feel right now is somehow wrong or invalid." Andy bit back quickly.

Feeling blindsided, Robert tried to get a question in. "Are we… have we been on the same phone call? I definitely did not…" he was 100% sure he hadn't done what she was accusing him of, but was also sure that she likely just needed someone to vent to and he would let her.

As Andy tore open the wrapper on her antacids, she growled slightly under her breath. "You know, I'm not a stranger to a little chaos. I totally get that things in life sometimes go wrong..."

Robert considered interjecting but resisted the urge and let her continue.

"I've got a dead dad, a dead best friend who was shot in front of me and a mom who could star in Dawn of the Dead," Andy seemed not to notice Robert's chuckle at her zombie movie reference.

"But still, I just can't help but wonder, how the hell did I piss off God so damn much?" She was exhausted and after her heated diatribe couldn't help the slam of her hands across the steering wheel.

Robert had been debating internally as Andy let out some of her frustrations. He couldn't help but wonder if something had transpired today, had her case taken a turn for the worse, had she gotten more bad news. This was the first time in all of their conversations she seemed really at her wits end.

"Hey," his voice was soft and low. Doing what he thought was his best to disarm her and the situation. "Did something..." Unfortunately, he couldn't get his question all the way out.

"Don't," Andy interrupted again. "Don't do that Robert thing you do where you try and get me to calm down. I don't need to be handled. I'm..." She growled in frustration. "I'm entitled to my rage. I'm entitled to be angry at..." looking for her words. "Everything." Her breath caught as she spoke her last words. "This was a mistake."

Andy hung up before giving Robert a chance to respond and threw her phone into the passenger's seat. It hadn't been a terrible day. Not anything worse than what was standard at this point. As she sat in her car for a few minutes longer, ignoring the buzzing of her cell phone next to her - she knew it was Robert calling back, she traced her mood back to a few hours ago.

After her Thai food had been delivered she took a break from packing. She'd actually been feeling good because of all the progress she was making, but something unexpected happened. When she went back to her project after dinner, she stumbled across a box and the contents had thrown her for a loop.

Flashback...

"Stop, I look crazy." Andy batted away the cell phone in Robert's hand and snuggled deeper into the gray duvet. Sundays were for sleeping in, lazy mornings, coffee in bed and sex. Off from the station and still living through the pandemic, there wasn't much to do besides relax at home on days off.

"You will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me," Robert whispered in a low gravelly tone before kissing the crook of her neck.

"Even with sleep in my eyes and crazy hair?" Andy asked with a groggy thick voice.

"Especially with sleep in your eyes and crazy hair," Robert lovingly replied.

Andy felt the swell of her heart as Robert's sweet words tickled the back of her neck. Dammit she loved this man. He snuggled her close and lifted a long arm back up to snap a picture.

Robert got several good ones that morning. Him kissing her cheek, them wrapped up in each other's arms and the one that was oft her undoing. Her eyes were closed and she looked completely at peace. Her cheek was pressed against Robert's chest, loose waves were wild across the pillow and he was kissing her forehead. When she saw it that first time and every time after, her insides filled up with a love that nearly took her breath away.

Over the course of their relationship she'd learned he loved snapping pictures of her and them together. She'd never forget laying in bed one night and asking him about it.

"I never pegged you for a selfie guy." Andy's voice was heavy and sleepy. Her arm rested across Robert's middle and she was being lulled into relaxation by the sound of his heartbeat.

Thumb slowly stroking one of Andy's arms, Robert breathed deep. The peace he felt in that moment was something he used to think would elude him forever. Then Andy happened.

She'd barreled into his life with her passion, defiance and friendship forcing him to open up. Before he knew it, he was head over heels. Considering compromises for his career that he never would have expected to be making.

As he thought about how to explain his desire to capture the two of them, he felt Andy's arm tighten around him. It was as if she'd known whatever was coming next, might be hard to talk about. He was amazed at how in tune they often were.

Robert's voice was low as he spoke and let Andy walk through another door in his heart. "After my parents died I went through all the boxes we had of family pictures. I pulled out every one that was of me and my parents together or me with one of them. And I was grateful for what was there, but it didn't feel like enough."

Andy listened intently as Robert opened up to her. She was always taken aback by how he could be so strong and his heart could be so big at the same time. To most, he was a paragon of strength and masculinity. Always soldering on, but with her he let his guard down in ways she knew no one else got to see.

Robert continued, "They worked so much that most of them were taken on holidays or special occasions. I didn't have very many from them that were just us doing normal things and I always wished I had. So I just... we're gonna take pictures on Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, but I wanna remember the everyday stuff too."

His tone was sentimental in a way Andy hadn't heard before. When he added, "Kinda cheesy right?" She knew he was feeling exposed in that way you do when you share something you've kept close to your heart.

"Babe..." Andy murmured softly and leaned up. She cupped her husband's cheek and looked him square in the eyes. "No, absolutely not. I'm pretty sure you just gave me another reason to love you. "

Pressing her lips firmly against his, Andy did her best to pour every ounce of love into that kiss. She'd made a silent vow in that moment to always let him take the picture even first thing in the morning with crazy hair, when she wasn't feeling her best or didn't want to be bothered. This complicated, broody man had stolen her heart and the more she chipped away at his walls, the more she wanted to protect the treasure she found behind them.

Back to present...

That's what she had stumbled upon in the unpacking. It was a box of things from the apartment. Some of it was just miscellaneous clothes, one of Robert's crew shirts which had mysteriously made its way in there and also a stack of pictures. On top was the one that nearly brought tears to her eyes when she saw it. She'd been instantly transported to the feeling of that morning.

The overwhelming love, the safety, the comfort. Being snuggled in the warmth of their bed, arms wrapped around her favorite person. Despite the world around them being crazy and chaotic, they had made the apartment their own little slice of heaven.

She'd stopped unpacking after that. An emotional windstorm was unfurling within, threatening to pull her under. Dammit she was angry. At so many things, but mainly in this moment, herself.

How had she walked away from someone who loved her so purely and made her feel so... it was hard to even find words. It didn't make sense. It was like she was a completely different person then. Thinking about it all those months later, it felt like an out of body experience.

Now all she wanted was to fix it. To do something to move them back in what she felt like was the right direction. So much in her life felt out of control, but this she could do something about...if only Robert would let her.

Coming out of her thoughts Andy saw the voicemail notification on her phone along with 2 missed calls. When she clicked play, Robert's voice came through right away.

"I'm concerned. The call was weird. Text me. Let me know you're okay... and if you still want to chat at our normal time, call. Phone is on." Andy sighed in frustration, but also at the way her insides melted at the softness of his voice.

Robert had drifted back off into a light sleep with his phone in hand, hoping he'd see a text from Andy letting him know she was okay or maybe a phone call. What ended up pulling him from his sleep was neither. It was pounding on his front door.

Barefoot, shirtless, dark pajama bottoms hanging low on his hips, Robert made his way down the stairs quickly. Without stopping to check first, he yanked open the door, certain of who would be standing on the other side.

Andy didn't wait to be invited in, but stepped right through the doorway and walked past him into the living room.

"Come in." Robert smirked as he closed the door. He was somewhere between amused, intrigued and concerned by her present state. "Here to continue your tirade in person?"

Pacing back and forth near the couch, Andy eventually stood behind it. "You know, I always hated this couch. It was so damn uncomfortable."

"What did my couch do to you?" Robert tried his best to mask the grin that came up with his words.

"I just told you. It's uncomfortable. Really time for you to get a new one." Andy said with hands on her hip.

"Noted," Robert said with a nod and raised eyebrows. "So did you just come here to insult my choice in furniture or..."

Andy cut him off. "You know, there's a lot… ALOT of things I could be pissed about right now." She emphasized her point with hand gestures.

Robert nodded, noting her sass and attitude. "I don't disagree."

"So many obvious things that deserve my anger, I mean, my life has basically turned into a Lifetime movie." Andy paced around a bit, arms flailing about some as she spoke. "But you know what's at the top of the list right now?"

"Something tells me I'm about to find out," Robert muttered as he watched Andy move about his place. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, she wore sneakers, leggings and a gray zip up.

"YOU, Robert. You're at the top!" Her voice raised to an octave louder than she anticipated, but at this point Andy was too worked up to care.

Robert's head jutted back in surprise, almost as if he'd been hit. His shoulders lifted and there was no mistaking the confusion on his face. "Me?!"

Incredulous, Andy continued. "YES!" The light growl Robert had heard a couple times already this evening preceded her next words. "For weeks you've been the pppeerrrfecttt friend." She dragged out her words. "Taking my calls, talking me off the ledge, telling me stories. Doing whatever I needed to just be okay."

Slipping his hands into the pockets of his pajama bottoms, Robert listened to Andy's rant and mulled over her words. What she was saying and the mood she was in, weren't matching. He'd been doing everything he could to support her. Why was that suddenly a bad thing?

"You keep being so damn nice to me..." Andy continued. "...and looking like that!" Her hands swiped at the air as she took in the sight of Robert's naked, muscular chest and ripped abs. Jesus he was not making this easier. Yes.. she had stuff to work out for herself after the assault, but apparently certain parts of her mind and body were not getting the memo.

"Like what?" Robert looked down and back up to catch Andy's eyes. Their communication had definitely been bumpy at times, but not lately. Yet, somehow he still wasn't quite following why she was so seemingly upset.

"For god sakes could you put on a shirt?" She demanded.

Noticing the look in her eyes and understanding the meaning behind her request, Robert laughed inwardly. He'd been a little slow, but was getting it now. Finally catching on to her real issue tonight. A conversation he'd been avoiding was looming. "No." He replied calmly.

"What?" It was Andy's turn to look surprised now. She tilted her head slightly and waited for further explanation.

Robert held her gaze firmly, but warmly as he repeated himself. "I said no. I won't put on a shirt. I was in bed. You barged in, yelling at me for reasons I'm not quite sure about. So, I get to have some say here." His voice was neutral and body language open, despite not giving in to her demand.

Andy rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly. "Well that's just great." How the hell was she supposed to think clearly with him looking so... "dammit" she thought to herself. This was not a well thought out plan. She probably should have kept avoiding the elephant in the room.

Robert could see the wheels of her brain turning and when he probably should have taken pity on her, decided to add a little fuel to the fire. "You've seen me in less." It was a reminder that neither of them needed right now especially since the well constructed boundaries they had created for their friendship were seriously in danger of being violated.

Andy rubbed her hands together in front of her, took a deep breath and found her footing as she faced Robert. It was time to put her cards on the table. "I need to know. Why do you keep dancing around what's going on with us?"

"At this point nothing is going on with us, Andy." Robert's response wasn't exactly a lie, but they both knew it wasn't the full truth either. They were friends, but no matter what they seemed to do, an electric energy always seemed to be running just under the surface.

Though not an outright lie, he also wasn't being fully transparent and Andy was tired of beating around the bush. There was so much in her life right now that she couldn't confront or control, but she could do something about this.

Looking Robert square in the eyes, she asked, "So this thing with us, these feelings… this connection is one-sided? Only happening in my mind?" Maybe this wasn't the best time to be jumping into this, but her anxious thoughts and overactive mind wouldn't let her find peace.

Robert was silent for a moment as he considered how to answer her question. Shaking his head gently, he replied. "I didn't say that..." He felt it. It was always there. They weren't just two old friends... it would always be something more. "We're two people who care about each other and..." He looked for more words to convey what he felt. He genuinely believed now wasn't the time to dive into their past, but wanted to give Andy something.

Feeling antsy and impatient, Andy couldn't help but prod him more. She could see some of his internal conflict and it mirrored her own. "And what?"

Robert ran a frustrated hand across his face and shrugged. "Why are you pushing this? Your plate is more than full right now? You..." He couldn't get his words out before she interrupted him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Andy's voice raised. When Robert said nothing, she added the thing that she'd been afraid to put out there for fear of how it might actually change things. She didn't want to threaten the comfortable place they'd found themselves in, but she also just couldn't stand the thought of one more day going by without being honest about something. "Cuz, I still love you that's why. And I probably shouldn't have said that, but it's true...so."

Robert held Andy's gaze for a moment before looking away. "God this woman," he thought to himself. It was one thing to think it... but it was something else entirely to have her say those words again after all this time. What was he supposed to do with it? "Andy..." he breathed.

Hands on hips, a defiant expression played out over her face, Andy closed the distance between them. "Don't Andy me." She looked in Robert's eyes and they were just as warm as they always were. "I've spent weeks swallowing back guilt and remorse, wanting to apologize. Do something to right my wrongs with you and you won't let me…" Her shoulders lifted slightly. "...but for some reason you'll still be my person. I don't get it."

"It would be so easy to say it all," Robert thought to himself.

Say everything that was still in his heart. Open up and share all he'd realized about himself, her, their relationship. He could tell her that he was certain he'd love her forever, but that all seemed like too much. Andy might not realize it fully, but just like he'd needed the past year to heal and grow. She needed that too. To figure out who she was on the other side of the assault, to actually deal with her dad's death and mother's return. Not to mention the trial was still pending.

"So much doesn't make sense in my world right now," Andy said with exhaustion evident in her voice. "I'm confused about so many things, but not this. I've finally figured out what a mistake I made to push you away and you won't let me do anything to fix it!" The thoughts she'd been wrestling with for weeks pushed past her lips and she felt the relief that came with finally telling the truth.

Robert breathed deeply as he took in the sight of the woman he loved. In times past he'd cup her cheeks or hold her close before saying something to reassure her, but that felt like crossing the friendship lines. So instead he grabbed one of Andy's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm here, supporting you, because I can't not." This time it was his shoulders that lifted into a shrug as he continued. "But honestly, I still don't get how the hell we ended up here at all. I don't know what happened to us, how we went from two people in love to strangers…"

Andy couldn't help the feeling of disappointment starting to well up in her belly at Robert's words. "...and I just don't think it's the right time to unpack all that."

Robert's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke and she knew it was him, trying to let her down easy. He wasn't saying no or that what she felt wasn't real, but he also hadn't said I love you back. Swallowing hard, Andy whispered a quick, "Oh." She wasn't totally sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't that. Feeling deflated, she averted her gaze and looked towards the door. "It's late. I should go."

Robert could see the sadness and confusion on Andy's face as she moved towards the door. He knew that despite his efforts to let her down gently and kick the can down the road on this conversation, she was hurt which wasn't his intent.

"Andy, wait." He said quickly and followed her the short distance to the door. When she turned around, his insides squeezed so tightly it felt like he might burst. "It's just…what you went through, it's gonna take time to heal from that and you've got the trial. It's a lot. You can't rush it."

When Andy looked up into Robert's eyes she saw love. Pure, uncomplicated love and in that moment she realized he wasn't just avoiding what was there between them, he was doing what he always did. Taking care of her the best way he knew how. It made her love him and hate this moment even more.

Andy knew what he was saying was right. She knew, even without admitting it consciously, that she needed time, but after how long it had been it just didn't seem fair to ask for that. That was her real fear. "But what if… what if it takes too long?" Her words were solemn and raw.

Robert smiled softly and his answer was simple. "I'll wait."

He was a patient man. Maybe one day he'd tell her about the hours spent in a sniper's nest and how they'd taught him to wait for the right time, but not tonight.

Andy's eyes widened in hope and her voice was soft. She wanted to hold on tightly to his simple words, but it seemed like maybe too good to be true. Like maybe, it wasn't really possible that he'd give her the time she knew she needed, because so much had already transpired. "You really mean that?" She questioned.

He wrestled with what to do next and while earlier upheld the friendship boundaries, in his estimation, this moment called for something more than a squeeze of the hand. Reaching up a hand, Robert cupped one of Andy's cheeks and held her gaze.

"I still eat my sushi with too much wasabi because that's how you used to like it." Smiling softly he continued. "I have a box of lucky charms in the kitchen right now even though I hate cereal. And there are old episodes of the bachelor taking up space on my DVR..."

Andy's eyes watered at Robert's admission. She bit the inside of her cheek slightly to keep the tears from pooling in her eyes as she listened to his words. How was it that he just kept finding the exact words she needed to hear?

Robert ran a thumb across the smooth skin of her cheek before continuing. "I tried seeing someone else, but it couldn't last...because I do love you too, Andy."

Andy offered him a watery smile. "Couldn't you have led with that?" Her question caused the heaviness of the moment to cease and happy laughter between them both ensued.

"Gotta keep you guessing," Robert replied flirtatiously.

So they hadn't totally hashed things out or made plans for next steps, but at least now the cards were on the table. It was clear that when the time was right, they would figure out how to move forward together.

Andy shook her head lightly. "So you're still shirtless and this is probably against the friendship rules..." she was going to tell him she planned to hug him, but before the words could come out, Robert's strong arms wrapped around her small frame. She didn't even try to resist the relief she felt sinking into his embrace. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she really believed things would be okay.

And when Robert's lips brushed the top of Andy's head, he swallowed back his own emotion. It had been a long road, but it was clear this wasn't a friend comforting another friend, this was two people in love finally making their way back to each other. He wasn't sure how long it would take or what would be required, but it didn't matter. She was it for him.

They'd been standing, holding each other in silence for a few minutes before Andy finally perked up. "So..." she said with mischief in her voice, loosening their hug just a bit. "Who was she?"