Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that has followed, favorited and reviewed so far. Sorry for the gap between updates. Work life is insane right now, it is my busy season.

Chapter 5:

Andy made it back to her apartment and proceeded to pack her bag that she would take to Adrian's home later that evening. When he was out of town, she preferred to stay in her own place. The mansion was too large for one person, and made her feel lonely, she'd explained to him one night as he packed to leave. Really what she needed was to feel safe and get a break from the double life she led. It was usually on those nights she would call Adam or email him.

She kept up her normal routine, closing the curtains, and turning off the lights. Locking the front door, she pulled out her keys like she was going to take her car, but as she crossed the ally to the parking garage where her vehicle was kept, she detoured into a stairwell, waited for her tail to pass and doubled back. She made it three blocks before she ducked into another parking garage where an asset she knew kept a motorbike. Climbing on the back, she zipped her leather jacket to conceal her Sig, and she proceeded the two kilometers to the address Amir had slipped her. The wind rushing through her clothes helped pull the tension she'd felt from her shoulders and she eased into the turns and found a small ally to hide the bike.

McG and Preach had just filed back into the safe house and were filling everyone one in on their observations as Amir doled out dinner. The house was an upgrade considering their usual locations, there had even been enough beds that no one had to share and a decent enough kitchen that Amir could cook. Jaz checked the proximity alarms she had set to see if Andy had arrived yet. Dalton was pacing, unable to relax knowing that his sister would have to shake her tail to get to the safe house.

Andy found Jaz's proximity alarms and bypassed them with practiced ease. She could see through the covered windows, the shadow of someone pacing and smiled knowing it was her brother. She was a little surprised that Jaz wasn't watching the windows as she slipped through the back door. Her feet were light as she stepped into the main living area silently. She could hear their voices drifting from the dining area and could hear the clanging of utensils on plates. She leaned against the wall just out of sight of her brother and listened to the team.

"The first time I met Andy, Adam brought her to a barbecue with the guys from our old unit." Preach sounded like his old self, and it warmed Andy's heart knowing he had almost died not too long ago. "What about you Amir?" he asked, and she could hear the scrape of a chair.

She couldn't hear Adam's pacing and figured he had finally sat down to eat dinner. The house smelled of something spicy. "The farm, first day in the dorms and she nearly knocked me over because she wasn't paying attention." His answer was truthful but clipped. He sounded tense and nervous. She wondered what he had to be nervous about, but guessed it was her brother knowing about many of her adventures and Amir's inability to know what exactly Adam knew.

"Did you two ever have any assignments together?" Jaz questioned a hint of a laugh in her voice. She heard Amir still and knew that Jaz had hit her mark. Andy smirked thinking of the sniper with her lazar focus.

"A few times, the last time was Germany," Amir answered, "She has a knack for getting people to confess to things without even knowing it." There was a note of admiration and consternation in his voice.

"Sounds like Andy," Preach laughed. McG was strangely silent sitting on the table. He was normally the boisterous one.

"What about you McG?" Amir questioned, "When did you meet Andy?"

Andy knew when he was trying to shift the focus off himself. She also was anticipating McG's answer. "Germany," McG answered quietly.

Andy swallowed remembering that moment. It was the first time she had ever been shot. She could still feel her own blood on her hands in the rare nightmares that haunted her. Shaking off the images, she took a deep breath and stepped out from her hiding spot.

"I was quite the sight bleeding all over the place," she announced with a smile as everyone's eyes swung towards her, she also noticed they all went for their sidearms before realizing she was a friendly. They stood to greet her, and she turned to Adam. "Hi big brother," she whispered before he pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and fought the lump in her throat. Andy had missed him more than she could put in words. It had been nearly two years since she had seen him in person and so much had happen in that time. Absorbing the strength of her brother, she closed her eyes and held tight. When she opened her eyes, she could see Amir step back from the group and Jaz followed as well.

She released Adam with a smile and turned to Preach. Preach pulled her to him like he would a sister. After the barbecue that first time, Andy had babysat his daughters and kept Meredith sane during her husband's long deployments. Meredith had taken Andy under her wing as a sister and made her feel like she had a family again. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered and gave him an extra hard squeeze.

"Frau Weber," McG greeted her with a grin. "It is good to see you on your own two feet." She laughed and reached up to hug the taller man. He picked her up and set her down with ease and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek while eyeing Amir. Amir kept his eyes on Andy.

Jaz stepped forward and held out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Andy," Jaz stated with a smile. Andy shook her hand and saw her brother's smile out of the corner of her eye.

"It is nice to finally meet the woman that has saved my brother's stubborn ass multiple times," Andy replied with a grin. "And keeps the other three in line too."

"Someone has to do it," Jaz replied with a laugh and a shrug.

Andy finally turned to Amir, "Guten abend mein ehemann," she greeted him, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets. Her eyes met his with a challenge.

"Guten abend meine frau," he replied in kind from his position leaning against the counter. He wanted to reach out to her, but that was for a different time and a different place.

Adam watched as his sister greeted everyone on the team before turning to Amir. He wondered just how well they knew each other, but his mind was on the comments about Germany. He knew that Amir and Andy had been assigned together before, he also knew that her partner in Germany had been the one to shoot her and left her bleeding out in an alley where his team had found her. Her partner's name had been redacted at the time he read the initial report. Andy told him the gunshot was to save her life even as it nearly cost her the same life. She promised him it had been better than the alternative.

There was a tension Jaz could feel between Amir and Andy that she could feel building and glanced towards Top, knowing he probably sensed it too. He had that silent contemplative look that meant he was mulling something over and she wondered if he knew what the cause of the tension was between them.

"Wait, did you call Amir your husband?" McG questioned breaking the silence in the room.

"Last time I saw him before today, he was playing the role of my husband," Andy answered leaning against the table they had gathered around.

"So, Amir, when were you going to tell me that you shot my sister?" Adam asked having turned to him. Amir leveled Adam's gaze and prepared to answer the question. Everyone else in the room stilled in anticipation of the answer.

"Can we table this discussion for later? I need to be leaving in the next hour and we have a lot to go over. Besides, he was protecting the mission. That's our job, no matter the cost," Andy answered stepping in front of Amir, forcing Adam to look at her. Adam nodded knowing his sister would talk later, and Andy handed him the flash drive she had kept on her for nearly six months.

Over the next hour, Adam and his team went over the blueprints and layouts for the mansion that Andy would be calling home for the foreseeable future. She showed them where the best entry points would be to plant bugs and cameras. They would be taking a scouting trip to the mansion the next night. It was also Andy's plan to introduce Adam and Jaz the next evening so that they could move forward with their plan to attend the party at the end of the week.

Adam watched Andy lay out her plans and how easily she fell into the role of a leader. She answered their questions, took their suggestions and adapted the plan where it was needed. He was also watching Amir and how he interacted with his sister. He let her say her peace before chiming in, but he didn't hesitate to tell her something wouldn't work. She looked to him and it was like an entire conversation was happening without anyone else realizing it. He glanced over at Jaz and realized she had been watching him.

Jaz was listening carefully to Andy, it amazed her how much she thought and acted like Top. She also noticed that although Top was listening, he was watching his sister and Amir. Jaz had not missed the comments about husband and wife, nor the fondness in Andy's voice. She also didn't miss the looks between them. It reminded her of how she could look at Top and know what he was thinking without him saying a word and how they could move together seamlessly. She looked at Top and saw the discerning look. He was wondering just how well Amir and Andy knew each other and he glanced up at her and she realized it was more than that.

"So, Adam, you and Jaz will come by the house after I get home from work for dinner. I will let Adrian know you are coming so that the security team doesn't freak out. I'll make pasta," Andy laid out picking up her leather coat. She slipped her cell phone in her back pocket and pulled her hair loose from her collar.

"Since when do you know how to cook?" Adam questioned as he walked her towards the door to leave.

"Amir taught me while we were undercover," she answered casually, glancing back at the team before looking up at her brother.

"Andy, I need to know that you two can work together without there being an issue," Adam stated looking down at his sister and watched as her eyes turned to icy fire.

"I would never risk the safety of your team Adam. If you feel like this is going to be a problem because Amir and I have a history together, then leave now. I will figure out how to do this on my own. It will be easier with your help, but I understand if you choose to leave," Andy stated feeling hurt that Adam would doubt her abilities. She crossed her arms to keep her hands from shaking and from being twitchy as Adam had pointed out to her.

"You have a habit of pushing people away, you know that?" Adam questioned as she glared up at him.

"Pot, kettle," she replied with a raised eyebrow. She watched as his lips thinned out into a fine line and the whiskers of his beard stuck out. "Look, Amir and I are good. I haven't seen him in four years. I have no feelings about the situation other than saving the fifteen girls that are currently scared out of their mind." Adam knew that was a lie she was telling herself, but he let it go.

"You be careful," he stated letting go the urge to protect his sister when he knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

She nodded and reached for the door. "Bring a good bottle of wine, it will soften the surprise," she offered before ducking out the door and disappearing into the darkness.