Sam woke with a start. He patted the bed next to him and found that it was empty.
He wondered if it had all been a dream, but then he realised he wasn't in his own bed and he was naked. He saw a dim light through the bedroom door. Instinctively he knew something was wrong so he quickly hunted down his boxers and shoved his legs in them before padding out into the open plan living space.
"Andy?" he called softly before finding her, wrapped in a sheet, gazing out of the window.
That's when he saw that she was crying.
"Andy? What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and wiping the tears away.
He could see her struggling to form words so he took her hand and led her over to the couch.
"The therapist didn't hurt you did they? I didn't hurt you?"
Andy shook her head, laughing at Sam's concern.
"No. They confirmed what I've been telling you all for weeks. It's a sprain. It'll be fine."
"So what's wrong?"
"Ivebeentransferred." She said it so fast that Sam struggled to catch what she had said.
"Andy, wait, did you just say that you've been transferred?"
She nodded her confirmation.
"Frank called just after you dropped me off. He said a report has been made to the Superintendant that our professional relationship is inappropriate. Frank chose me over you because he said I'd be easier to steal back."
"Son of a bitch!"
"It wasn't Franks fault. His hands were tied. Someone in our own division, in our family reported us to the white shirts. Who do we know with that kind of power?"
"Gail?"
"Gail wouldn't do that. One, it's too obvious and the timing's off. She's had years to report us. Two, with the dirt we've accumulated on her, she wouldn't dare in fear of retaliation."
"You rubbed up anyone the wrong way recently?"
"Anderson. He seems to be bitter enough towards me after the hazing stunts we've pulled, and I know he's a legacy, but does he have the connections?"
"Possibly."
They both sat on the sofa, staring into space, not talking until Andy broke the silence.
"What do I do? 15 is my home. My family. How can I go an entire shift without seeing your ugly mug?"
"Hey! Play nice! We'll figure it out. I promise. You'll be back at 15 before you know it. Now I think it's time for bed."
"Alright, but will you do something for me?"Andy asked, allowing Sam to pull her to her feet using the sheet.
"What?"
"Will you clean out my locker and bring it over?"
"I'll clean out your locker and keep it all in mine for your return."
Sam stopped in the doorway and pulled Andy closer to him, before capturing her lips once more in his.
"Sam, I have to be up early tomorrow. I've got a hell of a lot further to travel than normal."
"I'll drop you." Sam told her, his dimples popping as he smiled at her and walked her back into her bedroom.
"When I ask for quiet, I want QUIET!" Frank yelled at the unusually rowdy group of police officers before him.
Slowly everyone stopped their conversations and turned to look at Frank.
"Your pairings, as usual are on the board. Go out there and serve, protect and don't even think of pissing me off. Swarek, I want you in my office. Peck, Diaz, Williams, Shaw, Epstien, Nash. I want you to all wait behind for a minute."
"This sounds serious." Oliver muttered to Noelle as Sam stormed out of the room, pushing the door open so hard it rebounded off the wall with a crash.
"Take a seat."
"Frank? What's going on? Where's McNally?"" Noelle asked, figuring that Sam's mood and her absence were connected.
"A report was made to the Chief Superintendant yesterday saying that Sam and Andy's professional relationship it too inappropriate. I was forced to transfer one of them."
"WHAT?"
"WHO THE HELL?"
"WHY ANDY?"
The officers in the room all started shouting at once until Frank held his hands up to stop them.
"I do not know who made this report, but whoever it is has connections."
They all looked at Gail.
"It wasn't me. We all know that McSwarek's relationship is inappropriate at the best of times, but I'm not dumb enough to report it."
"I transferred McNally because if I chose Sam we'd never get him back. He's too well known and I have to block transfer requests on a daily basis just to keep him here."
"We need to figure out who did this and then we can try and get her back."
"I need to go and tell Sam the not-so-good news."
"This is when I don't envy his job." Oliver said, shaking his head.
"What makes you think he doesn't already know?" Noelle asked.
"Sam, take a seat." Frank said, indicating Sam should stop pacing and take the seat in front of him.
"Save your breath Frank, I already know."
"You do?"
"Who do you think she called?"
"So do you know what inappropriate behaviour has been cited?"
"I am going to guess that someone reported her talking to me in the men's showers was the most recent."
"What even possessed you to talk to her in the shower?"
"She cornered me. It's not like I wasn't behind a curtain. That's not the point here."
"It kind of is the point Sam. If I manange"
"When. Not if, when."
"If I manage to get her back, how am I supposed to stop this from happening again?"
Sam simply glared at Frank. He knew the sergeant was right. He also knew asking for a set of rules for them was out of the question. They were already in place and neither he nor Andy followed them anyway.
"I'm going to find out who did this Frank."
"I'm counting on it."
There was a knock on the door.
Frank and Sam looked through the glass and saw Little waiting for them.
"We're in a meeting." Frank told him.
"I know that, Sir, but there is someone here to see Officer McNally. When I said she wasn't here he asked to see Officer Swarek. I told him that you were in a meeting and he said he'd wait. That was half an hour ago. He's still here."
"Did you get a name?"
"Tim? Tom? Something like that."
"Tommy?" Sam asked
"Yeah. That's it. Tommy."
Sam let out a loud breath and got up from the chair he was occupying.
"I'll bet she forgot to call him." He told Frank as he headed out of the door.
Sam meandered his way between the desks and towards the front desk.
"Sammy! This young whippersnapper won't let me back there!" Tommy called when he saw Sam. "And where the hell is Andy?"
"Let him through Little."
Sam led Tommy to a vacant interview room and suggested he take a seat.
"Where's Andy?" Tommy repeated.
"I went round last night to talk to her like you suggested and she dropped a bombshell on me."
"Sam?"
"She was transferred. Seems there is someone in this station that has issues with our professional relationship."
"Jesus Sam! What did you two do? Get it on on Frank's desk?"
"That's not funny."
"Well?"
"We were being us and someone complained about it."
"When she asked you to pick me up?"
"I was in the shower."
"That would do it."
"That's not the point. The point is how do we get her back?"