A/N: 31 reviews in 2 chapters... I adore you all... although while I accept constructive criticism (please PM me for this) - I do not appreciate rude, sarcastic and passive aggressive reviews. Fanfiction is a place where writers come to express their creativity and allow other to enjoy it. If you don't like my style, please exercise your right not to read it!

I apologise about my rant, but I really don't like rude reviews!

Sam could almost smell her perfume. It was lingering in the air. He knew he was on the right track.

As he rounded the last corner, he stopped. His worst fears coming to life.

Andy was slumped against the wall, her eyes closed and a suspect holding a gun to her head. His heart nearly tore in two when he saw a tear fall down Andy's face.

"Why didn't you draw your gun?" Sam wondered as he crept silently towards them, before realising the suspect had Andy's gun.

He saw the suspect fondling the trigger lovingly, pulling it closer, and closer.

"Police, Put the gun down!" Sam announced.

The suspect looked at Sam and Little and then back at Andy, and began to weigh his options. Eventually he turned his gun to Sam and fired, missing his head by inches.

Sam, seeing what the suspect was about to do, fired his own weapon at the same time, hitting him square in the chest.

Andy heard the shot and when she felt nothing she opened her eyes to see Little kicking her gun away and Sam kneeling in front of her, swimming in and out of focus. He cupped her chin in both hands and forced her to look into his eyes, the tears Andy had been fighting began to flow freely.

"Are you ok?" Sam asked her, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

Andy nodded and covered his hands with hers.

They sat this way until they could hear the sirens in the distance and Sam looked to see the ambulance driving down the alley, followed by a police car.

"Sammy, what the hell happened?" Oliver demanded as he got out of the cruiser.

"I'm not sure, but I will wring that little arrogant gits neck when I get back to him." He said, removing his hands from Andy's face and dropping them to her sides to help her up.

"Easy Sammy."

"Easy? He nearly got my rookie killed because he is too arrogant and thinks he knows everything already."

"I'm not your rookie anymore Sam." Andy told him, wincing as he pulled her to her feet.

"No, you're right." Sam conceded "You're my partner. I will still wring his neck."

"Let me do it." Andy asked, locking her eyes in his, pleading.

"Andy, you need a ride home?" Oliver asked, nodding at Frank's office, indicating that the investigation into Sam discharging his weapon would go on for a while.

Sam, feeling Andy eyes on him glanced through the window of Frank's office and smiled at her, revealing his dimples.

Andy returned Sam's smile and followed Oliver to the door.

Just as she reached the car, her cell phone rang. Recognising the tone as the one she had set for her dad, she answered it.

"Hey. Pause. Yeah I'm ok. Pause. I'm fine. Pause. Yeah, I'm sure. Pause. It was just a long day at work. Pause. My Plans? Home, hot bath, bed. Pause. No it's ok. Pause. I know. I love you too."

Oliver's eyebrows rose into his hairline and he looked at her over the roof of the car. Could he have been wrong about her? Could she have a boyfriend? Is that why Sam was stubbornly not making a move?

"My dad." Andy explained, seeing the look Oliver was giving her.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Oliver got into the car and unlocked the passenger side door to let Andy in.

"The old man ok? He sticking to the programme?"

"Six months sober on Friday." Andy told him.

As much as she tried to hide her dad's alcoholism from her friends and colleagues, those that knew him as a police officer knew he was having trouble. Those of them like Oliver tried to help Andy where they could.

"Are you ok? Sammy told me you took a hit."

"I'm fine. Why do people keep thinking I'm some timid little girly girl who cries when she breaks a nail? Did Sam tell you I cried?"

"Anyone who has met you would never see you like that Andy. You are one of the strongest women I have ever met and if I had been knocked to the ground with a plank of wood followed by having my own gun pointed at my head I think I would have cried too. And no, Andy. He didn't. He told me you were as tough as boots." Oliver told her, reaching over and squeezing her arm. "You also stopped him from ripping Anderson limb from limb."

"Oliver, what's you point?"

"Only you can stop Sam Swarek overreacting and doing something stupid. What you got planned?"

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"If you need any help with this, I'm your guy. I love me a bit of Rookie hazing."

"Oliver! You do know hazing is illegal."

"Did I say hazing? I meant team building exercises." Oliver joked, making Andy laugh and causing her to wince as a shooting pain passed through her side.

Oliver pulled up to Andy's apartment to find a male sitting on the stoop.

"Thanks for the ride Oliver. I'll see you tomorrow." Andy said, leaning over, kissing him on the cheek and getting out of the car. Oliver chuckled as he heard the conversation that followed between Andy and her father.

"Dad! I told you I was fine."

"I know princess. But I have always been able to tell when you are lying to me. Now how about you help me eat this Chinese and make your old man a brew."

"A brew?" Andy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I hear tea is good for calming nerves."

"My nerves are calm dad."

"Mine aren't."

Andy let Tommy into the building and led him up to her apartment. Once she had shut the door, he dumped the food on the counter and started rummaging for plates.

"So why don't you tell me what happened?"

"When did you become a shrink?"

"I'm not, but I have been in nearly every situation imaginable, and having your own gun pointed at your head is one of the worst."

"Who told you?"

"I have my sources. Tell me what happened."

"I responsed to a 911 disturbance call. A guy came out of the house running and I took off after him. I realised my partner wasn't with me."

"Sam didn't follow?" Tommy asked, confused.

"No, not Sam. I got a Rookie with an attitude problem. A Legacy."

"Frank split you and Sam up?"

"He asked us first."

"Why?"

"Thought the two worst rookies would learn best off the two of us."

"Ok. So you set off running and your Rookie didn't follow, leaving you on your own. What next?"

"I drew my gun and crept forward. I had my eyes in front of me the entire time. I saw him disappear around a corner and followed. When I got to the corner, he hit me with a plank of wood. I flew into the wall and my gun fell out of my hand. I couldn't breathe, dad."

"You hurt?"

"Only when I try and breathe." Andy admitted, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Let me see." Tommy ordered, dishing out the food.

Andy shook her head to refuse, but seeing the look on Tommy's face, she lifted her top and showed him the spiders' web bruise that was beginning to form all the way down her side where she was hit.

"There's a wound here." Tommy said, pointing out a small circle of scabbed over blood just below where her protective vest would have reached.

"I guess the wood had a nail in it."

"You didn't feel it?"

"I had been hit by a plank of wood. It hurt everywhere."

"You get a tetanus shot?"

"I had one at the Academy. I'm good for another 5 years."

"What happened next?" Tommy prodded, handing Andy a pair of chopsticks.

"I saw him pick my gun up. I couldn't move. I saw him point it between my eyes."