Andy opened the door completely, stepping aside to allow Robert to enter. Her anger had subsided, and now she was just feeling deflated. She was tired, tired of being angry, tired of walking on eggshells at the station, and tired of fighting. The problem was, Robert, her husband and her safe harbor in the storm, was the source of the turmoil, and she wouldn't allow herself to simply collapse in his arms, even though the thought was tempting.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked somewhat formally as they entered the living area.

"I'll pour myself a glass of water," Robert replied, heading toward the kitchen. Despite his absence, this was still his home. He could certainly get himself something to drink.

In the kitchen, he filled two glasses with water, and took two ibuprofen out of the bottle they kept in a cabinet. Andy might be feeling ok now, but given the amount of alcohol she'd consumed that night, she'd be feeling it in the morning if she didn't hydrate and take a pain reliever.

Walking back to the living room, he found Andy sitting at one end of the sofa. He placed the pills and the water on the end table, before walking around the coffee table.

"I don't need…" Andy began, but her voice trailed off as she noticed the stern look on her husband's face. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She popped the pills in her mouth and swallowed them with a substantial drink of water.

"Thank you," she said quietly to Robert, as he sat down on the other end of the sofa.

They sat in silence for a moment, and she used the time to look closely at her husband for the first time in over two weeks. She saw him at the station, of course, and on calls, they were both careful to remain professional, but after he had been appointed captain he returned to his old habit of spending most of his time in his office and eating when the team was out on calls that didn't require his presence. Ben had made one attempt to encourage a conversation between the feuding couple, but Andy quickly and unequivocally made it clear that she had no desire to discuss her marital turmoil with him, or anyone else. She had learned through the grapevine that Robert was staying at Richard's, and while she was glad he was settled somewhere and taking care of his sobriety, she hadn't given much thought to how he was doing. While her initial anger over his actions that led to Maya's demotion had diminished over time, she still wasn't able to see the silver lining. Yes, Station 19 was still open, and their response times, patient outcomes, and other statistics were as good as they had always been, but the A-shift had lost much of its comradery in the aftermath of Robert's proposal to Chief McAllister, Maya's demotion, and his return as captain.

Now, sitting opposite her husband, she was able to see the toll the last few weeks had taken on him. He was as handsome as always, but he looked tired and worn down. As she contemplated their situation and took another drink from the glass of water next to her, Robert's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"Robert," Andy replied with a sigh. "It's late, and I'm tired. Limiting our conversations to topics necessary for our jobs has worked a lot better for us than anything personal. I just don't have the emotional reserves right now for another fight."

"I don't want to fight either," Robert replied calmly, before trying one more time. "How about this? Let me say what I need to say, and when I'm done, I'll leave."

In his drive from the park to their home, Robert hadn't fully thought through what would happen when he got to their home. He only knew that their current situation wasn't sustainable, not personally and not professionally. After two weeks of living apart, if he and Andy couldn't figure out how to move forward together, he planned to ask for a transfer as soon as the station was out of danger.

"Yeah, ok," Andy replied. "You can say what you came to say."

While she was not thrilled to be having this conversation, she turned her body slightly on the sofa so that she was better able to see Robert, and waited for him to speak.

"First, let me apologize for my behavior this evening," Robert began. "I…"

He trailed off, took a moment to gather his thoughts, and decided that brutal honesty was the best option. "I acted like a jealous jerk. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you did," Andy replied a little sharply, clearly not yet willing to cede any ground in their ongoing disagreements.

Robert sighed and looked down at the ground. This was going to be a long conversation if Andy remained this combative.

Andy, however, noticed the impact her words had on her husband, and something inside her began to soften just a bit. He was hurting, just like she was; the least she could do was not add to the pain. Before Robert could decide what to say next, Andy spoke: "But I owe you an apology too. I knew you would be there, and I planned my outfit and my behavior to try to provoke a reaction. It was childish, and I'm sorry."

"Ok, so we can agree that neither one of us was at our best this evening," Robert said, thankful that they had found at least thing they didn't have to argue about.

Andy nodded but remained quiet. Robert had chosen this place and time for their conversation, so she was going to let him take the lead. If it had been up to her, she would be in bed now.

Robert looked around the apartment, gathering his thoughts. Even though he had been away, it was as neat and organized as the day he had left.

"I've been talking with a therapist, and he's been helping me…" Robert began before Andy interrupted.

"Wait, what did you just say? You're seeing a therapist?" Andy asked incredulously. While the question was real, the tone was playful, and it made Robert smile slightly. It had been quite a while since things had been light and teasing between them.

"Yes, I'm seeing a therapist," Robert confirmed. "I made some calls the Monday after Maya and Carina's wedding. "His name is Dr. Williams, and I've been seeing him twice a week, so I've had four appointments."

"Wow," was all Andy could say. Of all the things she expected to hear from her husband, that was definitely not on the list. She looked at him, a bit of trepidation in her gaze. While she was glad Robert was talking to a professional, it also made her nervous to think that Robert was discussing her, and their marriage with a stranger.

"We've talked about a lot of things" Robert began, trying to gain confidence as he talked. "We talked about my injury and drug use, the hearing and my demotion, my arrest, and how I'm dealing with all of what's been happening in the world."

While it was true that all of those things had been subjects of initial conversations, it had only taken the therapist until the end of Robert's second session to find an area of focus for their subsequent appointments: Robert's relationship with his parents. He had spent exhausting and emotional sessions talking about his memories and unpacking how his parents' actions were affecting him today, almost 30 years after their deaths. Even though it was hard for him, he knew that Andy needed to hear what he was beginning to understand about his motivations, so he took a deep breath and continued talking.

"My parents, they were doctors, and worked long hours, so I didn't see them a lot. They always showed up for award ceremonies, though. Academics, sports…if I was being commended for something, they were there," Robert explained. "It turns out," Robert continued with a humorless chuckle, "that that sort of thing has an impact on a kid."

Andy nodded her head, indicating that she had heard what Robert said, but chose not to say anything, hoping Robert would continue.

"So Dr. Williams has suggested that maybe somewhere in my psyche, I've decided that my worthiness is determined by my successes," Robert said quietly, so quietly that Andy had to lean forward to hear him.

He hated this. He hated being this vulnerable, especially in front of Andy. He paused for a moment before continuing: "Even after they died, I didn't take time off. I didn't use it as an excuse to let my grades slip; I even got straight A's that semester."

As Robert talked, his voice broke slightly, and Andy got a glimpse into what life for young Robert must have been like, first feeling as if he had to earn his parents' affection by being the best at everything he did. Then after they died, living in a silent house with his grandfather who participated in terrible atrocities against people who looked like him, and many others. Life with her father hadn't always been easy, and she knew better than anyone that he had made some terrible parenting decisions, but she also knew that he loved her unconditionally.

Andy's heart broke for Robert. She tried to control her emotions, this was about him, not her, but as he talked, a few tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. It hurt her that Robert was so unsure of his parents' love that he thought the only way to get it was to succeed. It also put all of their conversations about his status within the fire department in a new context. She thought back to inspection day, the day after he was released from jail, and his comment that she "married a battalion chief." When he said it, she was hurt that he assumed her love for him was somehow dependent on his rank. At the time, she had attributed it to stress and the trauma of the arrest, but now she was seeing it differently.

Robert had stopped speaking, hoping Andy would have something to say. He needed a moment to compose himself. He could tell by the look on her face and the tears in her eyes that she had been listening. In the silence of the room, she replayed all of their conversations about Robert's desire to move back up in the SFD hierarchy in her head. As she did, she was struck by a realization.

"Oh, Robert," Andy said, her voice thick with emotion. "So when I didn't tell my family about your demotion, it wasn't just about your rank, you assumed it said something about the depth of my feelings for you."

"I don't know, maybe," Robert admitted honestly. He wasn't deflecting. He really didn't know. Despite the revelation about his parents, Robert felt like he still needed to work through a lot about his motivations over the last few months. As a goal-oriented person, the slow pace drove him a little crazy, but Dr. Williams assured him it was all part of the process.

Andy scooted across the sofa so that she was next to Robert. He was staring at an imaginary spot on the floor, so she gently reached to turn his face. She wanted to look him in the eye when she spoke. "My love for you has nothing," she began firmly, "absolutely nothing, to do with your rank within the SFD, or any other job you may or may not have someday. I'm beginning to understand why you might not believe that, so I'm happy to repeat it, as many times as you need, to get it through that thick skull of yours." The last part was said with just a hint of a smile, and it served to break the tension in the room a little.

"And, I didn't tell my family about your demotion because I didn't know how to explain it without talking about the fentanyl. I didn't think that was my story to tell, so I just didn't say anything," Andy explained. "The Sundays when we were off you usually met with Richard and went to an NA meeting. You had enough on your mind. I didn't want to add 'what should I tell my family?' to that list."

"So, you didn't say anything in an attempt to protect me, and because you didn't say anything, I jumped to conclusions about your feelings about the whole situation?" Robert asked rhetorically.

"Yep, that about sums it up," Andy said, and making eye contact once again, they both broke out into a laugh.

"We're really quite a pair, aren't we?" Robert teased.

"That we are," Andy agreed, before encouraging Robert to continue talking. "What else did you and your therapist talk about?"

"I talked about us, some," Robert began. In all honesty, the majority of the first few sessions he had barely talked about Andy at all, but as their fight and separation had been the events that directly led to him calling Dr. Williams, the health of their marriage was addressed. As he spoke, Robert chose his words carefully. "Among other things, he suggested that because we're so good together physically, we might avoid some tough conversations we need to have by ending up in bed," Robert explained.

Andy opened her mouth to object, but Robert cut her off.

"That's not a criticism of you. We've both done it and me probably more than you," Robert admitted. "I told you not too long ago that our marriage was the only good thing in my life. I needed that one thing to be working so rather than have the hard conversations, I avoided them."

"And," Robert said with a grin. "Kissing you is much more fun than arguing."

Although Robert's comment was intended to lighten the mood, Andy could feel her face flushing as she recalled her words to Jack two weeks prior. "We confused lust for love," she had said in anger. She didn't believe it then, and she didn't believe it now, but she couldn't take back what she said. She hoped in the dim light of the living room, Robert couldn't see the color that had rushed to her face. She hated that she had ever uttered those words, and she knew it would devastate Robert if he ever found out.

Thankfully, for Andy, Robert had something else on his mind. In one of his sessions, Robert had questioned Dr. Williams about how he could better support Andy, given the situation with her mother and father, and the therapist had shared a theory that made a lot of sense and helped him better understand Andy's response to his actions in McAllister's office.

"Can I share something the therapist said about the situation with your mom?" Robert began.

This was the realization from his therapy that he was most worried about sharing with Andy, so he wanted to get her agreement before he started. They were talking, sharing, even laughing a little, and he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize the progress they were making.

Andy paused for a moment, as she thought about how to respond. She felt the tension rise in her body. Since her meeting with her mother and the conversation with her family at that first Sunday picnic, she had done her best to put her out of her mind. It had worked, mostly. What was it Snuffy had said not that long ago when she asked about her mother, "Don't go picking at scabs unless you want to bleed." This particular wound had healed over again. She wasn't sure she wanted to do anything that reopened it. However, the desire to continue moving forward in repairing her relationship with Robert won out, so she nodded ever-so-slightly, indicating to Robert that he could proceed.

"The situation with your mom is different," Robert began slowly, ready to stop talking if Andy showed any signs of discomfort. "If your mom actually died or skipped town, or your parents divorced, there would be trauma, but that's not what happened. It's not just that your mom wasn't around, it's that she and your dad conspired to keep the truth from you for decades."

While Robert knew his words were true, he also realized that hearing them out in the open like that might be hard to take, so he paused to see how Andy was handling what he said. When she nodded again indicating she had heard the message, he decided to move on. "What happened to you was different. It wasn't just a loss, it was a betrayal, and when you've been hurt like that by the people who love you, you might be more on guard with others you love in an attempt to protect yourself from further pain."

As much as it hurt Andy to hear those words, deep down she knew Robert and Dr. Williams were right. Her mother and father had betrayed her by faking her mom's death and lying to her all those years. It also made sense that Andy might overreact to Robert's actions in Chief McAllister's office. Maybe she had seen a betrayal when one didn't exist.

Once again, Andy felt the tears well up in her eyes, and when a few ran down her cheeks, Robert reached up to gently brush them away. His caring gesture made more tears fall, but rather than allow Robert to comfort her, she stood up and walked across the room to grab a tissue. Drying her eyes, she glanced at her watch. She couldn't believe it, but the sun would be rising in just a few hours.

Robert saw her look, and the emotion and exhaustion on her face. He knew they were making progress, but his wife clearly needed some sleep.

"I should go," he said. "I can come back tomorrow, and we can talk some more."

"Stay," Andy said quickly. After the emotional turmoil of the evening, she didn't want to be alone. She wanted Robert with her.

As much as Robert wanted to, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. "Andy, I shouldn't. I don't want to fall back into our old habits," Robert replied honestly.

"Just to sleep," Andy countered. "Please."

The look of vulnerability in Andy's eyes was Robert's undoing. There was no way he was going to be able to walk out the door and leave her alone in that state.

"Ok," Robert acquiesced. Why don't you finish getting ready for bed and I'll be up in a minute after I put the glasses in the dishwasher and check to make sure everything is locked up down here.

A few minutes later, he found Andy sitting up in bed flipping through a magazine. It took him just a few minutes to change and brush his teeth before he settled into bed next to her. It was a little awkward, neither one knowing what to say or do.

"Well, goodnight," Robert said, as he reached to turn off the table lamp that illuminated the room.

"Goodnight," Andy replied, as she arranged her pillows to her satisfaction.

Given the late hour, and her exhaustion, it didn't take Andy long to begin to fall asleep. However, as with many nights over the last two weeks, just as sleep began to come, she woke up with a start. In the months they had been together, Andy had gotten used to the warm, strong presence of Robert beside her in their bed. Without him, her sleep had been fitful. Opening her eyes, she noticed in the dim light of the room that Robert was still awake, and watching her.

Either because he was able to read her mind, or because his unsettled thoughts matched her own, he responded to her unanswered question. Reaching out one hand to stroke her hair, he spoke gently: "Go to sleep, Andy. I'll still be here in the morning."

Taking a deep breath, Andy once again settled into her pillows, but this time, she fell into a deep sleep, and, after seeing his wife finally find some peace in her slumber, Robert allowed himself to do the same.

I had only intended this story to be two parts, but it just kept growing as I thought about all the things they needed to resolve! There is a part 3 in the works, and it'll be posted sometime before the premiere (15 days and counting).