Andrea took one more look at herself in the mirror, smoothing her hair before reaching down and running her thumb over the locket around her neck. This was a long time coming, but it still felt like no time had passed at all since she had been given her time off. Letting out a soft breath, she tried to smile at her reflection, but found that she was far too keyed up to smile.

Knowing that she couldn't delay herself any longer, she slowly made her way downstairs and poured the now brewed coffee into her travel mug before grabbing her attaché case and keys, hurrying out the door and then on to work. Andrea felt like she wanted to get into her office without seeing anyone, especially Ellen, as she just wanted to get down to work once more. And yet, a part of her brain kept running through scenarios where she faced the worst outcomes, which made her drive that much more harried. Finally, she slipped into her parking spot and then made her way up to her office, feeling her spine relax just a little when she had the elevator all to herself.

Her assistant was already behind her desk when Andrea entered her office, and she gave the woman a soft smile as she sailed past her and went to settle behind her desk, needing to get a feel of how things had changed in the two months since she had been gone. There was a rather large stack of mail on her desk, and she let out a long breath as she slumped in her chair and took a look at the daunting pile. "This alone is going to take a week to sort through," she muttered as she picked up the first piece of mail and opened it, seeing that it didn't contain anything that required her attention.

Andrea had just gotten underway with the mail when a noise in the doorway caught her attention, and she looked up to see Rusty and Andy standing there. Rusty was holding a potted plant in his hands, while Andy had another stack of mail, and she sighed as she beckoned them over to her desk. "Welcome back, Andrea. You've been missed."

Rusty's words were perfunctory, which told Andrea that he hadn't quite gotten over what she'd said to him, and she knew that that would make things difficult for her in the long run. He was extremely good at bearing a grudge, and even though what she had said was true and necessary, it was going to be a long time before he truly moved on. Andy smacked him with a thick envelope, and Andrea felt her eyes widen when she saw her alma mater's insignia on it. "He meant to say that he's been counting down the days until you were back in the office. And you assistant gave me this newly arrived stack of mail for you to go through."

He passed the mail over to Andrea, and she dropped everything on top of the accumulated pile before picking up the envelope from her law school and grabbing her letter opener. This was the first that she had heard from them after her Skype interview, and the size of the envelope seemed to indicate that she had received the news that she hadn't truly thought possible when she had first applied. "What's that?" Rusty asked as he plopped down into the chair in front of her desk, and she frowned at him as she pulled out the stack of paperwork.

There was a letter on top, and she placed everything else that had come in the envelope on the desk as she began to read what was written there.

Dear Andrea

It is with great pleasure that I am writing to you today to inform you that we have decided to extend the offer of employment to you in our library department. Please find enclosed our current employment contract, along with a list of houses that are for sale in the area that would be in the budget that you would be making in your new position. We look forward to seeing you at the start of orientation week, and hope that your transition from the DA's office to our school. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me. My number is at the top of the letterhead.

Warmest Regards,

Nina

A warm feeling of pleasure spread through her body as she set the letter aside and picked up the contract, reading through it with great speed. She knew that Andy and Rusty were watching her intently, but she ignored them as she continued to go over what was included in her contract. The wage was more than fair, and she signed the contract with a flourish before looking up at the men. "Can I help you?"

"The smile on your face tells me that you just got very good news, Andrea. Care to share?"

She looked up at Andy and allowed her smile to widen as she nodded. "I will be resigning my position here, effective immediately. I have a new position lined up for me, so you won't have to worry about dealing with me, Rusty. I'm certain that this news has made your day." Andrea couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice, and she wasn't surprised to see Rusty give her a dirty look before he rolled his eyes and stalked from the office, muttering under his breath. Turning her focus from him to Andy, she was shocked to see that he was staring at her dumbfoundedly, and she gave him a small smile as she gestured for him to take a seat.

"You're leaving the DA's office?" he finally asked, and she shook her head.

"I'm leaving the state. I applied for this position on a whim, uncertain if I'd be qualified for it, when I was suspended do to my altercation with Rusty. I had my second interview with them right before I came back, and didn't hear anything, so I assumed that I had been passed over. Turns out, they just sent the acceptance package to my work address rather than my home address."

"And is this going to be a good move for you?"

Andrea shrugged as she leaned her arms on her desk, looking into Andy's eyes. "I have to assume that it will be. Anything has to be better than this constant agony I'm in here, watching everyone move on from Sharon and knowing that it is completely ridiculous that I can't do the same thing."

"You loved her, of course it hurts. It hurts to be in the murder room without her. Because she took large pieces of our hearts with her when she died."

She nodded as she began to tear up. "I didn't know that you could see me that well."

"I recognize the hurt in you, because it is the same hurt in me. I hate to see you go, but you have to do what will bring you peace."

"You'll always be free to visit me, Andy. You'll just have to keep my whereabouts a secret, since I don't want surprise visits from anyone else. All right?" He nodded, and they rose to their feet, Andrea leading him over to the door. "Hopefully, I'll see you soon after I get settled where I'm going. I truly don't want to lose contact with my friend."

Andy nodded before reaching out to hug her tightly, and she returned the embrace, knowing that this would probably be one of the last times that she realistically saw him, allowing her heart to crack a little for the loss of Andy, and her home for the last twenty years.