When Andy woke up it took her a moment to realize where she was. Then he felt him behind her and smiled. So it wasn't a dream. Slowly turning around she found Robert watching her gently. She smiled at him, which she seemed to be doing a lot lately and felt pretty stupid about it.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." He replied. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, much." She answered. "Thank you."

"Andy..."

"I know. " She sighed. "Can I start?" She asked him and he nodded. "I'm sorry that I didn't give you a chance to talk when you asked for it." She said at first.

"You had every right to be mad at me."

"But I had no right to slam the door into your face." She argued back. "And I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He said. "Can we talk now?" He wanted to know and she nodded.

"We can talk." She agreed. But when her eyes moved to his lip and back to his eyes, it was a split of a second, he bent down and kissed her gently. And she willingly responded. But neither let it get out of hand as they both knew they needed to talk first. Really talk.

"I just don't know where to start." Andy confessed.

"In the beginning?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She didn't understand.

"Look, Andy. There is something I need to tell you and it's important and it has something to do with why I told you to go after you know, after we came back from L.A." He said and she looked worried and a bit confused.

"Robert?"

"Do you know why I wasn't at work today?"

"No. Why?" She asked and let him set the pace of the conversation. It was clearly important to him.

"I was in Grey Sloan. I had an appointment with Dr. Shepherd." He told her.

"A neurologist?" Andy asked him and he was surprised she knew who Amelia Shepherd was.

"Yes. Because I'm sick. I'm in pain, Andy. Every day. Some days it's barely there and I can ignore it but some days it's just too much and I can only lie down and scream and wait for it to pass." He told her and she sat up to look at him properly. And so he sat up too and they sat across each other.

"You're scaring me right now." She told him.

"It's called Complex regional pain syndrome. It's not that uncommon but people barely talk about it. It's painful and it's exhausting." He said and she listened patiently. "When we came back from L.A. I felt the pain for the first time. It was blinding and it passed so quickly that I didn't even understand what it was. After it came numbness and I couldn't feel or move my leg. And I panicked and screwed it up because instead of telling you I told you to go." He confessed and waited. Andy had to digest the information at first before answering him.

"Why didn't you tell me? Even if not right then you could have told me later." She said and he knew she was right.

"Because it hit me that I'm just old broken firefighter and that you could do better." He told her.

"Or you weren't sure if I would stick around, huh? You thought I just wanted the quick hook-up in Captain's bunk and wouldn't take it well that you were sick?" She asked and he could tell she was a little mad now. Well, no wonder.

"Maybe. I honestly don't know. I just needed to be alone to deal with it."

"And did you? Did you deal with it?"

"No. At first it was getting better but then it progressed and it's getting worse. My first doctor suggested a surgery that might help but it's 50:50 chance. So he gave me some heavy opiates and let me try PT to relieve the pain."

"Okay..." Andy said but her brain was trying to catch up on all the information. "So now what?" She asked then when she put it all together.

"Now I'm in troubles and as I said, I need you and your help because you're the only person that I can talk to." He said sadly and Andy moved and hugged him. It surprised him but he hugged her back.

"Tell me." She whispered into his neck and he kissed her cheek first.

"Dr Shepherd today told me that I came from one problem, which was pain, to two problems, pain and drugs to three problems. Pain and drugs and lies." He said and held her tightly because he just couldn't look her in the eye.

"I needed more than I had, Andy. So I stole fentanyl from Warren's PRT. I was using to manage the pain but it got out of hand and I almost killed myself. So I scheduled an appointment with her because..."

"Because she's recovering addict and tries to do a lot more than just to write you drugs." Andy completed the sentence for him. She moved away a bit to look at him. And he thought he wouldn't be able to hold her gaze because he was so ashamed. "Robert, what happened?"

He sighed and got up from the couch. Walking two steps away he took a deep breath.

"I got overdosed in my office." He admitted and when Andy wanted to say something he just turned around to look at her and so she stayed silent. "So today after the appointment with her I went to my first meeting." He said and chuckled. "I would never in a million years think I would have to take the twelve steps. I'm an addict, Andy. I screwed up and I don't know if I can fix it." He said sadly.

"God, Robert." Andy managed to say but she was speechless and didn't know what to say or what to think. Robert let her be and left to the kitchen to make some coffee.

He stood by the kitchen counter and thought he would hear her gather her things and leave. But he couldn't blame her for that. It happened and he had to pay the price. But Andy was still on his couch and she was trying to understand it all. And it was hard and it was painful. How was she supposed to handle that? She looked at him as he stood in the kitchen in defeat and her heart broke for him. He needed help and compassion, not her to judge him for his actions.

But how was she supposed to handle it? It was crazy! He of all people? That made no sense at all. She tried to stop the windmill in her head and take a moment to take a deep breath and tried to think clearly. She tried to approach it as she would an accident. First things first. Everything needed to be done in certain order for her victim to have a chance to survive.

He was sick. He was in pain. He had been for months and kept it from people. He kept it from her. Aside from everything else she had to come back to their first kiss and that everything that happened after it was in the shadow of the doubt and fear and ... pain. And not hers but his as well. She tried to think hard and wanted things to make sense but she was coming up empty. She was empty. So she decided to trust her gut. And her gut was telling her that the past didn't matter. Only presence. And the future that would come from it.

And so she got up from the couch, nervous and unsure but hoping she was doing the right thing. She came to him, slowly put her hand on his shoulderblade and waited. He jumped a little, he didn't expect her to come to him and touch him. Andy didn't move away.

"Robert." She said gently but he was too afraid to turn around and look at her.

"Look at me, please." She tried and he couldn't but comply. He turned to face her and was shocked by the depth of the emotions in her eyes. He felt even worse now.

"I'm sorry." He said and she knew he meant it.

"Don't do it again." She said firmly.

"Don't steal drugs?" He asked ironically.

"Well yeah, that too. But don't keep things like this to yourself."

"Andy..."

"You could have told me. Or somebody else. We would have stood by you, you know? You're one of us." She tried to argue with him.

"I couldn't, Andy." He answered and after a moment she nodded. No, he couldn't. He was too used to be alone.

"I need to know that you trust me." She said.

"I trust you. That's why I'm telling you all this." He told her.

"Okay... It probably doesn't make much sense but I need to know that you know you can tell me anything." She said and her voice was hoarse and it was driving her mad that she was on the verge of tears again. "I need to know I can be here for you as much as I need to know you're gonna be here for me." Andy continued and saw his eyes getting moist as well. Huh, big girls don't cry but what about big boys?

Robert Sullivan was a tough guy. He knew he was. He could handle practically anything, he went to war and back, he learned every language somebody told him to learn, he was a firefighter and he was hard on himself because life was hitting him hard most of the time. But right now face to face with Andrea Herrera, small but fierce, he felt like a little boy. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt so much at once it was overwhelming him. And so he just watched her and let the tidal wave of emotions wash over him.

"You said you were in love with me. Is it true?" She asked him. He reached out for her and enlaced his fingers with hers.

"Yes. I'm in love with you and God knows why I think it's becoming even more." He admitted and Andy smiled at him.

"Good." She said and before he could say anything else she kissed him. And he kissed her back. When they stopped she was sitting on the kitchen counter, he was standing in between her legs and things were heating up pretty quickly. Andy chuckled when he smiled at her. He rested his forehead on hers then and waited for a moment.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked him.

"Dr Shepherd had some suggestions so I do whatever she says. And I'll hope it will get better."

"And the meetings?" Andy asked.

"Andy..."

"I can take you there or pick you up or I don't know, do whatever you need so it would be easier for you." She offered and he looked her in the eye and knew she meant it honestly.

"I don't know yet." He answered with the same honesty.

"Well if you let me I'll be with you every step of the way."

"You don't have to." He said. "It probably won't be pretty."

"I can handle you." She teased him and he grinned at her.

"You really think that?" He asked with a playful smile.

"Absolutely." She dared him and before she knew what was happening, he stepped closer and kissed her so hard she lost all coherent thoughts. They both knew that they would have to talk more about it all, about the promotion and about Andy's dad and about Robert's leg but right then they needed the moment for themselves.

"If you don't stop right now..." Andy told him when he had her sitting on the counter in her jeans and bra only and he was shirtless.

"Then what?" He asked, his eyes so dark she got lost in his intense gaze. "Still think you can handle me?" He teased and after a moment Andy took off her bra and when his eyes went so wide she thought they would pop out of his head, she said: "And you think you can handle me?" She asked back and before she knew it, he was pressing his front to hers and the skin to skin contact shut her brain off completely.

Hooking her legs around him he hoisted her up and never stopped kissing her. He really wanted to take her to his bedroom but at their current state that didn't seem possible. So maybe next time. And yes, he was so bold that he allowed himself to think about a second time. Or more.

"Bedroom?" Andy whispered into his ear and he hissed when her hot breath tickled his neck.

"Upstairs." He answered and pressing her to the nearest wall he kept her in place and hungrily attacked her neck. Andy moaned and it seemed to drive him even crazier.

"Couch?" She asked then a little desperate.

"Yeah." He said and when Andy scratched his back he let her put her feet on the ground. Still kissing her he felt her hands on his belt buckled and was afraid that even couch was too far away. They were both smiling even while kissing. This felt so good. So right.

Andy pushed him down on the couch the same way she pushed him down on the bed in his bunk after L.A. He waited for her and when he saw her unbutton her jeans, he almost didn't make it and made a fool of himself. She came to him in her panties only and when she lied to him, he put her hair behind her ear and she saw the love he felt for her in his heated look. Well, okay, it was more than love right now.

"Andy..." He wanted to say something but Andy didn't want to talk so she leaned down, kissed him and when he moved up so she was sitting on his lap, pressing her centre to his, feeling absolutely everything, she knew she was right where she was supposed to be. And it didn't even matter that they didn't have their first time in the bedroom, well they didn't have it on the couch either. The soft rug he had on the floor by the couch was actually quite comfortable.

Afterwards he reached for the comforter he kept on the couch and let Andy snuggle close to him, covering them both with it. The bliss they both felt was something he thought he would never feel again. For Andy it was different because she felt something she had never felt after sex before. This was something deep and it caught her off guard. She didn't want to analyze it so she just snuggled to him and inhaling his scent, feeling his hands on her skin, she rested and enjoyed the warmth. She felt so safe and protected she didn't even mind they were lying on the floor.

"Robert?"

"Yes?" He said and she looked up at him.

"I don't know what this is but I don't want to blow it." She told him sincerely and he kissed her gently on the lips.

"That makes two of us." He answered. "Look, there's a chance I will have to try the surgery and if I do then the department..."

"Retirement, I know."

"Can you live with that?" He asked a bit worried.

"Can you?" She asked him back. "But I guess that if you could you would have agreed to it already."

"The job was all I had. I couldn't lose it." He said sadly. "I lost everything including you and I couldn't lost the job as well." He confessed. "That's why I wanted the promotion."

"Because of your leg?"

"Yes. I hate it. I hate the paperwork and I hate that I'm not on calls with you, I hate it that I don't have my office downstairs. But I couldn't keep going on the calls. If my leg... it could..." He tried to explain. "It could gave out anytime and I would be putting lives in danger. Including yours. And I couldn't do that." He admitted.

Andy watched him for a moment and waited if he would continue or not. She felt deep sympathy for him even though she was still a little mad at him too. They lied there together and soon Andy started to shiver as the initial excitement wore off and she was lying there naked.

"You cold?"

"A bit." She said.

"Come." He asked her and got up. Wrapping the blanket around her so she wouldn't have to walk naked through his house, putting only his boxers on, he walked her up the stairs and to his bathroom. Andy was trying not to stare too much but she enjoyed looking around his house, learning a little bit more about him.

"Let's warm you up." He said as he turned on the shower and took the blanket from her. But she was not willing to break their time together so easily.

"Stay." She asked and it was one of the most erotic things he had ever heard. And so he dropped the blanket and his boxers and joined her in the shower. They didn't make love in there even though they were both tempted but they enjoyed their time there quite a lot.

"I'll bring you your clothes. Mine would be too big." He said and let her stand in the steamy bathroom wrapped in a fluffy towel. He left and she had a moment to compose her thoughts. And it surprised her that she actually felt calm and relaxed and ... loved. Everything about him made her feel safe and welcomed. He was in love with her and was falling even deeper. And it seemed that in her case it was exactly the same. It scared her.

He came back, gave her clothes and kissed her softly. He couldn't get enough of her.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please." She answered with a smile. She didn't bother with drying her hair or putting on her socks. She didn't even use her belt. She felt so comfortable and it was so nice that she slowly walked back downstairs and noticed that he had put the living room into more presentable state after their little ... thing.

Sitting on the couch, folding her legs underneath her, she waited for him. He brought her the coffee and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked and she just smiled.

"More than that." She answered and taking his hand into hers she just watched how they fit together. "I'm sorry I was mean to you before. I mean because of Maya and my dad and everything. You didn't deserve it."

"Don't take the blame, okay? It's on me as much as it's on you." He tried to argue with her.

"So what next? We do better?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Yeah, we do better. I won't keep things from you."

"And I'll listen to you more." She promised. And so he kissed her again lazily.

"Do you have to leave soon?" He asked then.

"No." She answered happily, dreamy look on her face and he was happy. They were disturbed from their little moment in heaven when there was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

"No. Wait here, okay?"

"Sure." She answered and let him get up. She melted into the cushion and just rested. She was surprised when she heard Warren's voice from the door.

"Wboth know that the fentanyl is on you and I don't understand it because the only logical outcome is that you're using drugs and that just doesn't make sense. So tell me what the hell is going on or I'll report you. I won't let the PRT go down, not because of this." Ben said fiercely before Sullivan could even say hi.

Now Ben stood there unsure about his own future. Sullivan nodded.

"Come in, Warren." He said and stepped aside so Warren could come in. He wanted to talk to him later but well... Ben came inside and noticed Andy on the couch looking so comfortable it shocked him to his core.

"Oh. I... Well..." He tried to make an excuse but Andy just smiled.

"Hi, Ben."

"Hey." He greeted her. "Damn, Sir, I'm sorry, I didn't..." He looked at Sullivan when he realized that Andy had heard everything.

"Warren." Sullivan stopped him and so he waited. "She knows. And I wanted to talk to you later but since you're already here, we can talk now, if you have time." He offered. Ben was speechless, still looking from Andy to Sullivan and back and all the wheels in his head were turning so fast it made him dizzy. He was disturbed from his shock when Andy's phone started to ring. She got up to check the ID.

"It's Vic. I'll take it and let you two talk, okay?" She told Sullivan and he nodded.

"Sure." He said and without thinking about it for a second she kissed him softly on the lips. She left to the kitchen to talk Vic and let Ben and Sullivan to deal with their issue.

Ben was speechless. Nothing made sense to him.

"Warren, come and sit down, okay?" Sullivan said but Ben was still like a gaping fish.

"Okay we can stand." Sullivan changed his plan and had to say he was little amused by Warren's reaction. So they didn't have to worry anyone would think that they were together because it was obviously so unbelievable that even Warren who was very smart and very observant had troubles believing it.

"You are right. It was me. I took your drugs and I used them. I ran out of those I had from Koracick and I couldn't get through my days with the pain I felt." Sullivan started.

"What is going on, Sir?" Ben asked and so Sullivan told him all about his leg, about CRPS, about the treatment.

"So why Amelia?" Ben asked then. Sullivan seemed a bit taken aback then. "My wife saw you in the hospital with her. So the dots connected."

"Because of her reputation."

"She's good. If anyone can help you, it's her." Ben told him.

"I know. And I..." Sullivan got embarrassed for a moment. "I had my first meeting today, Warren."

"Meeting? You mean like 12 steps or something?"

"Yes. Because I got overdosed in my own office."

"Jesus." Warren hated to hear that. "Sir."

"I threw the rest away and I asked for help. I'm clean now and I plan on staying that way." Sullivan told him.

"And Andy knows?" Ben asked.

"Yes. I told her today. She knows." Sullivan admitted. Ben tried to piece it all together.

"Look, Warren, if you have to report me, do it. Don't let the PRT end because of this, because of me."

"I won't." Ben answered. Sullivan waited. "I wrote the fentanyl off as broken in transport. But I won't do that again."

"All right."

"Sir..."

"Yes?"

"I'm mad at you." Ben told him then. "I asked you before and you dismissed me. I asked you again and you played it cool. Why didn't you say something? You could have told me!" Ben told him passionately and Sullivan felt something ... like a glimpse of real friendship.

"Okay, I'll go now and let you two... I don't even want to know. Just give me your word that it won't happen again. Because if it does, I'll report you immediately." Warren told him and Sully nodded.

"I agree, Ben."

"Okay." He outstretched his hand and Sullivan took it. Man's deal. "And Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't seen her smile like that in months." Ben said and they both knew he meant Andy. It pleased Sullivan that at least someone was still looking out for her.

"Thanks." Sullivan answered and Ben left.

In the meantime Andy was talking to Vic. She told her about her living arrangements.

"That's great."

"Yeah, I mean your dad played a huge part in that but why not."

"What?"

"He talked Dean into keeping her. And wanna guess? She has a name now."

"Really? What is it?"

"It's Pru."

"Pru?"

"Short for Pruitt." Vic told her and Andy had to blink away tears.

"So we're throwing him a baby shower, right?" She asked Vic.

"And that's why I'm calling. The day after tomorrow he's got appointment at peds. So I was thinking to ask him to come for a little social visit with little Pru to the Station."

"And we surprise him."

"Exactly."

"I'm all in. Send a list of things they need and we'll get a cake and all." Andy agreed happily.

"I will. I'm gonna call others."

"Sure."

"Look, Herrera, I was thinking about calling Sullivan and Bishop too. And your dad of course." Vic said and Andy knew she was asking her if she was okay with it.

"I'll call them." Andy offered.

"Wow, okay, thanks." Vic answered. Andy saw Sullivan coming to her from the living room and smiled instantly.

"If you need any help with the moving, let me know." Andy said then and Vic thanked her. They ended the call.

"Everything okay?" Andy asked Robert and he nodded.

"Yeah, we talked."

"Good."

"And you?"

"Oh, I have to call you to invite you to baby shower for Dean's daughter the day after tomorrow." She said with a smile.

"You sure about it?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"No, I do want to I just..." He wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

"Just come okay? Vic will send present list." Andy told him. "I have to call Maya and my dad."

"Are you hungry?" He asked her and she realized that she was.

"Yeah, I am. You're not going to cook again, are you?"

"Why? You didn't like it?"

"No, because you can't spoil me too much." She said and grinned at him. "Can we order pizza or something?"

"Sure thing." He said, kissed her, let her call Bishop and her father and ordered pizza. He hoped he still remembered how she liked her pizza.

When Andy finished her calls and promised her father they could meet the next day for coffee, she went to look for Sullivan. He was just paying for the food which meant she had to be talking to her dad for quite a lot of time. It even didn't seem so. Sullivan closed the door and put the pizza into the kitchen.

They both took a slice and Andy felt so happy her heart could burst. They had half of pizza each and weren't hungry anymore so they closed the boxes and left it for later. Andy went to the stairs to take a look at the photos he had on the wall and he followed her. She was standing on the stairs so they were eye to eye and it was funny and different.

"You know, maybe you can cook for me again."

"Really? What you had in mind?" He asked as he put his hands on her waist and watched her as she put her arms around his neck.

"I was thinking breakfast." Andy told him and knew the moment it hit him. And so he kissed her and this time they made it to the bedroom. And aside from one trip for the pizza leftovers and trips to bathroom they didn't leave the bedroom till it was morning and they had to figure out if they were calling in sick or if they would get up and try to act normal. But it was still early so Robert was easily seduced and Andy enjoyed every moment of it. Yes, this was her safe place.