"It was too quiet," Robert thought to himself as he changed into a pair of joggers and a t-shirt. It was a work day so he wasn't planning to be home, but after losing one of their own, 19 was taken offline. For the next 24 hours calls would be re-routed to other stations while their team regrouped.

As an introvert, he didn't normally mind the quiet, but tonight it was deafening. When all he wanted to do was escape, have some semblance of distraction so he didn't have to think or feel…the silence was loud. He couldn't help but replay the events of the day over in his head. The deaths and so many injuries. When they'd left the scene they all knew that despite Warren's best efforts, Miller likely wouldn't make it. It was confirmed a short time later he was dead on arrival at Grey Sloan. Robert had done this job for 20 years, but losing a fellow firefighter never got easier and this…this hurt.

There was the pain of losing the person and missing what they brought to the group, the concern for their families and then inevitably you having to face your own mortality. The job was always dangerous and they all knew that, but still most days you expected to make it home. Tonight one of them didn't.

He thought about Pru and his heart ached for the little girl. Losing both parents at 16, he knew the feeling of grief as a kid all too well. His only solace was that she was young. She wouldn't really understand what was going on for some time.

He and Miller had begun to develop a friendship, but it was nothing like what he shared with the rest of the team. For them, losing Dean would feel like him losing Ripley and he knew what a gaping hole that could leave. And of course, he also couldn't help but worry about his wife. Andy's words replayed over in his mind about how she couldn't handle anymore losses and this was big.

Earlier in the evening he'd debated checking on her. He wanted to see how she was doing. Despite the divorce papers, despite the separation, she was still the woman he loved and he'd spent 3 days in bed with her after dad. Robert worried about whether or not this just might be the thing that broke her. But it had been weeks since he gave her the signed divorce papers and she hadn't said anything, signed or filed… so he just didn't know where they stood.

While trying to make a decision about what to do, Robert zoned out in front of the TV with SportsCenter on. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there when he heard the knock at the front door. He wasn't expecting a delivery and these days didn't have unexpected company. Getting up from the couch he knew it could only be one person. Opening the door, there his wife stood, dejected, still in her uniform, disheveled hair and eyes heavy with grief.

"Hey," Robert said, softly with concern in his voice.

Andy hadn't planned to end up here, but when she got in her car after leaving Pru and sitting with Vic, there was only one place she wanted to be. She'd spent nearly a year upset with him and yet on the worst day she'd had in longer than she could remember all she wanted to do was be with him. Feel his strength, feel his safety...be comforted by him. When Robert opened the door, dressed casually in joggers and a t-shirt Andy couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over her. She'd held it together that evening for Pru, was strong for Travis and Vic, but she felt exhaustion deep in her bones.

Skipping all pleasantries Andy blurted out, "I uhmmm… I'm not really sure what I'm doing here. I just left the hospital after dropping Pru with Warren." With soft eyes, Robert listened patiently as Andy spoke. "And I got in my car and just kind of ended up here…" Andy shrugged her shoulders lightly, looked away and wiped the single tear that had fallen before finding Robert's eyes again. "I've been awful to you and you don't owe me anything. I just…" her voice cracked and though she did her best to hold them back, hot tears cascaded down her cheeks faster than she could stop them.

Robert's heart broke for the woman he loved and before she could try and finish her statement, he enveloped her. "I'm here. I've got you," he whispered, holding her tightly as her body wracked with sobs.

Andy wasn't sure how long they stood on his doorstep, her arms slung loosely around her husband's firm body, her crying into the crook of his neck. Her whole body shook as wave after wave of realization hit her. Robert must have felt her legs threaten to give out because he scooped her up into his arms and kicked the front door shut. Wordlessly, he carried her upstairs. Passing through the bedroom he sat her down on the covered toilet seat and started the shower. Kneeling in front of her, one hand grazed the side of her tearstained cheek and he began unbuttoning her shirt as the bathroom filled with steam. Though she still said nothing, Andy's hands covered his in silent gratitude.

"Shower," Robert said softly. "I'll be back." As Andy finished undressing and stepped into the hot shower, he pulled one of his crew shirts out of the dresser drawer and sat it down on the bathroom counter. Most of her things were still there, he could have given her something to wear that was her own, but he knew what she needed.

While she showered and changed, he warmed canned soup and made her hot tea. He put it on a tray and after turning off the TV, cutting the lights and checking the front door, headed back upstairs. Robert wasn't surprised to find Andy already under the covers on what used to be her side of their king sized bed. Her hair was damp and she'd grabbed one of his hoodies from the closet.

He placed the tray down on the bed and sat down next to it. Andy shook her head seeing the items next to her, "I'm not…"

Robert interrupted her before she could finish. "I know, but take a few bites anyway," he said as he lifted the bowl in her direction. He knew his wife and she likely had cereal and coffee this morning, maybe a protein bar later and hadn't eaten anything else today. Andy sat up, pushed up the sleeves of the oversized hoodie and accepted the warm bowl.

Thick silence surrounded them as she took a few bites of the chicken noodle soup. Neither forced conversation. Despite their struggles with communication this past year, there were moments like this where they didn't need words, but just intuitively knew what each other needed.

"Thank you," Andy mumbled as she laid back down and Robert moved the tray from the bed to the dresser. He cut the bedroom light and slipped into bed. Pulling his wife into his chest, he brushed the top of her head with a kiss.

When Andy finally broke the silence, she said, "I just keep trying to make sense of how the world can be such an awful place… How could God be so cruel?" It wasn't a question she expected Robert to have an answer too, but it was a thought plaguing her. Her voice cracked as she continued, "Dean's gone and Pru's alone." She tried to hold back the sobbs, but couldn't.

As Robert laid there, feeling Andy's tears through his thin t-shirt, shushing calming words into her hair, he couldn't help the tears that fell from his own eyes. He breathed deeply and with his one free hand wiped them away. As he felt the contractions of Andy's body slow, he thought to say something comforting, but he couldn't. Yes, technically, Pru wasn't alone. She had 19 and grandparents but Robert knew all too well that despite having extended family, there was a loneliness that ran deep when both of your parents were gone. He'd felt it at 16.

Some time later...

Head resting on Robert's chest. "In the car from daycare to the hospital Pru asked 'where's daddy' no less than five times… he is her whole world. How is she ever gonna be okay again?" Andy said, shaking her head slightly.

"It'll take time," Robert eventually said. "She'll need love and support and she has it."

"She has this bunny that she carries around with her everywhere…" Andy said with a small wistful smile. "It looks almost identical to the one I used to sleep with as a kid. She goes everywhere with that thing. Miller told me he bought two extras in case she ever lost it." Robert laughed lightly. "Will she ever really get to be a kid, Robert?" Andy leaned up to find her husband's eyes as she asked.

Robert cupped Andy's cheek as she looked up at him. He gave her a small smile and eventually said, "I think so…" He thought for a moment before he continued. "She's gonna grow up so loved and taken care of. We'll all be there for skinned knees, birthdays, graduations and soccer games. This will be hard, but she still has an incredible life ahead of her." He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead as Andy settled back down.

"Robert," she whispered.

"Yeah, babe." he answered quietly.

"I'm sorry...I know it's unfair of me to be here," Andy replied. As comforted as she felt, she knew to some degree she was taking advantage of him. He loved her, she knew that and even though she'd treated him poorly the past year, there was no way he'd turn her away when she needed him.

"You don't have to apologize, Andy. I wanted to be here for you." Robert appreciated her words, but he didn't need them. This is just what you did when you loved someone.

Her fingers picking invisible fuzz from Robert's t-shirt, Andy said with a small smile. "I know you used your five minutes of fame to make SFD get behind Crisis One… I'm sure he really appreciated that."

"That was nothing," Robert said quickly and adamantly. "It's a good program. And soon, hopefully there will be others like it in every city in this country." As he laid there, he couldn't help remembering how he and Dean had both run into a fire to save kidnapped girls with no gear and somehow ended up sharing a holding cell overnight. "There are not many men like Dean Miller in this world. We suffered a great loss today."

Andy nodded her head. "I just keep thinking about the last words we said to each other, you know. It was so casual…" Andy said. "You just never know when will be the last time you get to tell someone you love, that you love them."

"Yeah…" Robert replied as he pulled Andy closer to him. "On a day like today, you can't help but think about the people who really matter."

"Can I ask you something?" Andy said a bit tentatively.

"Yeah," Sensing the nervousness in her voice, Robert ran a hand across Andy's back soothingly.

"Did you sign the divorce papers because you actually want a divorce or because you think that's what I want?" Andy's words were slow and filled with uncertainty. She wasn't sure if this was the right moment for this, but she'd been waiting to talk to him for weeks and after a day like today, waiting any longer seemed nuts.

Robert was silent for a moment before answering. "It's been a hard day Andy… we don't have to make this about us."

Ignoring his statement and continuing, Andy said. "I've had the signed papers you gave me for weeks. You haven't wondered why I haven't filed them?" She wasn't sure how she expected him to answer the question, but it had to be asked.

"Honestly…I thought it meant you were changing your mind, but didn't want to…" Robert's voice trailed off. He'd spent months agonizing over their marriage and separation, but strangely after speaking his piece and giving her the signed papers, he'd been calm. He knew he'd done the best he could to fight for their marriage and it was Andy who had to make the decision about what happened next.

"You know if there is one thing I'm figuring out about life, it's that we never know how much time we're gonna have with the people we love," her voice was stronger now.

"Yeah," Robert said gently as he nodded his head.

Andy sat up slightly so she could look at her husband. Even exhausted, he was still the most handsome man she'd ever seen. She knew she was crazy to have spent so much time apart from him. Taking one of his hands in hers, she spoke. "I've spent weeks trying to figure out how to just say, I made a mistake and none of the words have sounded like enough. But on a day like today, everything is more simple. I don't know how to fix us, Robert, but I want to."

Robert tilted his head slightly and spoke gently. "You're tired and sad and we can talk about this later…there's no rush."

"Don't do that," Andy returned his look. " Don't dismiss this as grief talking."

"Andy…" Robert tried to reason. He didn't want to upset her more, but he also knew it wasn't best to have important conversations at a time like this. He'd done so much reflecting over the past year and knew one of the things that pushed them to move into marriage so quickly was Pruitt. They loved each other, but they were not ready to be married. He didn't want grief to be a driver in them getting back together. It had to be different this time.

"Look…when I came to find you after the Crisis One training… I wanted to tell you that I was having second thoughts about the divorce, about everything really…then you said what you said and gave me those papers." Andy shrugged her shoulders a bit.

Robert tried to interject, but Andy put her hand out, silencing him and continued.

"I have spent weeks trying to muster up the courage to face you because I realized that ghosting you for 10 months was pretty awful… I'm not proud of that. But I do know this. Robert Sullivan, I love you." Andy's words were firm but full of love.

Robert brushed the side of his wife's cheek with his thumb. "I know you love me Andy, but we both know that's not what our issues have been."

Andy pressed a hand to Robert's cheek and held his gaze. "I know. We need to talk, really talk. We have big stuff to sort through. Things we both will have to forgive…but I can't let you go to sleep another night unsure about where we stand." She took a breath and added. "I don't have some unrealistic expectation that we are going to fix this tomorrow and in one fell swoop be back in some lovey-dovey honeymoon bubble... we never really had that...what I am saying is that I want to do the work."

Seeing the love and determination in his wife's eyes, Robert smiled. The moment was so bittersweet. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on his wife's lips. They hadn't figured everything out tonight, he knew rebuilding and learning to trust each other again would be a struggle...he also knew it would be worth it.

As Andy laid her head back down on Robert's chest, sleep creeping up on her, she couldn't help the feeling of hope bringing light to such a dark day. She'd have to come clean and hoped that overtime Robert would forgive her and grow to trust her again. They would have to go to counseling and learn to communicate better. They'd have to figure out how to balance their careers and their marriage, but something in her believed it was possible.