Everyone wants to see Sully jealous of Jack huh? Well not in this story – but you know me and how my mind works… so after the weekend I might just happen to write another story. And yeah, I have couple ideas after watching the last episode that I just need to put them on paper. You interested?

I'm writing this, it's the promised second half of third chapter and I think it will be the end. There was supposed to be just one anyway. It gets all mixed up in my head now with the new ideas. So hopefully I am on the right track and you'll be happy with the result. Again a bit shorter chapter but as I said, was supposed to be the second half of third chapter.

Sullivan noticed the tension between Bishop and Herrera was getting worse. He knew he would have to do something but he didn't really want to. It was up to Bishop now. But he felt guilty because it was him who put her into that position. He was the one to name her Captain even though he didn't believe it was the right decision to make. But how the hell was he supposed to fix this? He could only hope that with her reputation and background she'd handle it on her own.

He was still thinking about what Pruitt Herrera told him. Not about always telling the girl but about not being wise to keep such secret from Andy. But what would change? What could change? Nothing. So where was the point in adding this to her list of worries? Why should he hurt her more? It was easier to let her hate him, to let her be too formal and detached that it was breaking him every single time all over again and again. But he knew it was for the better. Or so he hoped.

He also had to think about what Koracick told him. But with Dixon being the new Chief he truly didn't want to step down. He would name some idiot into his place and that would be the end of everything. He really hated that man and just the idea of more policemen running the fire department? That was making him sick.

His phone beeped and he opened message from Pruitt. It only said "your turn" so he had a hard time figuring out what it meant. But then he got it. Pruitt told Andy about the cancer. And now it was up to him to tell her about his leg. Except for the fact that he couldn't do it. He had nothing to offer her so he shouldn't ruin her chances at better life with someone … younger and less damaged.

He even visited his wife's grave the other day as he needed to feel her presence again, needed to talk to her, to be close to her, at least like this. And while he was at the graveyard he also visited Ripley. And there he told his best friend about everything. To his surprise he even cried, he cried in pain and despair, he needed to clean his soul and apparently tears were the way.

He got startled when Hughes appeared behind him. He tried to wipe his eyes dry.

"You don't have to do that. I cry a lot here too." She told him. He got up without a word and let her put fresh flowers on the grave. He knew Hughes had a boyfriend now but it seemed Lucas still had a firm place in her heart.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Sir." She told him when she got up.

"It's okay. I just…"

"Needed to talk?" She offered.

"Yeah, kind of. Now I feel silly. Like a fool."

"Well you should feel like a fool if you think the only person you can talk to is your dead best friend." She told him and he chuckled. Leave it to Hughes. She would always nail it.

"That's not it, I just needed to tell him this." He said and she tried to understand him. She couldn't though.

"Something only he would understand?" She asked then softly as they fell into step next to each other and walked out slowly.

"Yes. And he would have a good laugh about it." He told her openly and she smiled back at him.

"Can I help?" Vic asked him and he really didn't know if she could.

"How do you tell someone something very serious?" He started and surprised both himself and Vic by actually answering the question. "You know you have to tell them but you also know it's better if you don't because it would hurt them."

"I wish I knew…. I guess there's no real way to do this without hurting people."

"That's what I thought."

"But it's better to tell them if you think they deserve to know. It's easier to deal with things when you know what you're facing." She told him and he had to admit that it was pretty deep for someone like her and that it was actually truth.

"And if they're already mad?"

"For a valid reason?"

"Oh yeah, very valid." He clarified and looked at Vic again. She shrugged.

"So apologize first. Honestly. Don't hold back and just apologize. And then tell them." Vic said and he nodded after a moment.

"Apologize first."

"Yes. It never hurts to apologize if you hurt someone." She told him and he thanked her.

"That's actually really helpful, thanks, Hughes." He said and she just smiled.

"I'm not Lucas but well…" She smiled back and then left him. And so he knew what he had to do. He had to apologize. And spill the beans. Andy needed to know. He just wasn't sure if a simple apology will do. He was afraid that it most certainly wouldn't. Not after everything that has been said. Not after what he had done.

And now watching his phone he was back at the beginning. How the hell should he tell her after everything she's been put through already? Did he really have to? Damned.

Andy seemed to be a bit better although he noticed how others never stopped watching over her. They truly cared about her. Despite the drift their … feelings caused, they still cared. They had her back. They were a team. His team. Well, they used to be his team. He hated that. He wished he could have kept his Captain's desk, truly. But with his leg? No, this was better. Safer. He knew that. But he still hated it.

The next morning Sullivan met the team at beanery and was glad they could actually talk to him like they used to before he promoted Bishop. She didn't come to eat with them. She stayed in her office. He listened to his people and was proud of them so much he couldn't even describe it. They came back from everything stronger than before. And he knew he played a part in that. He was so happy.

He spared a glance at Andy and had to say she looked … weird. Like she wasn't really there. She was talking, communicating, she was there and had her breakfast but her eyes were so empty, so dark that it scared him. He wanted to help her but didn't know how. And didn't know if he should even attempt to help her. But if there was one thing this team taught him, it was that they stick together and help each other out. No matter what.

The dispatch called them to a fire and so he got left alone in the beanery. It sucked. Herrera and Gibson were on Aid Car and they stayed at the Station but this just was not the place to talk to her. And besides he still wasn't sure about it.

He got up and walked to the sink to wash his cup and plate. And his leg gave out again. The pain was so sharp that it nearly blinded him. He dropped the plate and managed to knock down a glass that was set beside the sink. It all fell down to the tiled ground with loud noise. It got broken into pieces. He tried to lean on the counter, he was trying to breathe through the pain and to focus on letting the pain go. And it actually worked. For a moment.

Before he managed to stand up properly and do something about the mess he created in the beanery, his leg gave out again. And this time he collapsed to the ground. As he was trying to break the fall, he cut his palm on some of the shard and managed to land onto the rest, effectively cutting his uniform – and to his dismay also his leg. He yelled in pain, he hit the cabinet and the floor and he was breathing hard and fast. He so didn't need this.

Then he heard the door and cursed.

"Sir? Everything okay?" Andy asked. Of course it had to be her to find him bleeding, yelling and with non-functional leg on the floor in the middle of all that mess. When she noticed him everything went aside. He could see she switched to her firefighter / EMT mode.

"Sir!" She called and moved closer.

"Careful. I broke a glass. And a plate." He said and she watched carefully where she stepped. "Just don't mind me. You can go. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, when hell freezes over." She said and when she looked at him she added "sir". That made him roll his eyes. "What happened?"

"Nothing." He didn't want her to know!

"All right." She said, walked over to the first aid kit and carefully knelt down next to Sullivan. She took scissors and looked at him questioningly. "Do I need to cut your trousers or will you cooperate?" She asked, pissed.

"Just help me to stand, okay?" He asked and after a moment she agreed. And so she helped him to stand up. He took the counter for support and Andy used that time to check his wounds. Well, it wasn't easy that was for sure.

"Can you stand still for a moment?"

"Sure. Do what you must." He said and braced himself. Andy managed to pull out all the glass and ceramic shards. She treated his wounds and noticed the lack of response from him.

"It doesn't hurt?" She asked. He didn't reply at first. She finished her job on the backside of his leg. She helped him to sit down and couldn't miss the fact that he's been favoring the other leg.

"Rober?" She asked again as he gave her no response.

"I can treat my hand myself." He said and she just gave him one of those if-looks-could-kill looks.

"Sure." She said but sat down across him, took his hand and started treating the wounds. He didn't pull away which made it difficult for both of them. And that was something he hated.

"No, it doesn't." He said then and she didn't understand. So he tried to explain better. "It doesn't hurt at all for some time. Then it comes back with sharp pain. It blinds me."

"What are you talking about?"

"About my leg, Andy. It's complex regional pain syndrome." He said and Andy stopped what she was doing. She kept his hand in hers and just watched him, confused. This couldn't be happening.

"I felt it for the first time after we came back from L.A." He came out clean and was proud of how sure his voice sounded even though he felt sick and scared like a little kid.

"When after L.A.?" Andy asked but she had a pretty good idea.

"When…. " he started but needed a moment. "When you went to lock the door."

"Why didn't you say something?" She asked quietly. Her brain was still trying to catch up.

"I panicked."

"So you pushed me away and ignored me for weeks. That seemed like a better idea to you?" she asked, mad now. But he was glad. He could deal with mad.

"Yes. I had physical therapy and tests and treatments. I didn't want you to be part of that."

"Why not?" Andy wanted to understand.

"Because! Because I'm old and grumpy and broken. And I didn't want anyone to see me like that." He tried to tell her. She let go of his hand and got up from the chair.

"So instead of trusting me you decided to keep me in the dark and break my heart." Andy said and it caught him off guard. He never expected her to go straight to the jugular but there she was.

"Andy…"

"All those things you said to me. Were any of them true?" She asked after a moment, daring to look into his beautiful eyes.

"I never lied to you." He said.

"So tell me. Tell me now." Andy prompted and he felt the blow to his chest. But he knew he owed it to her. Taking a deep breath he decided to bite the bullet.

"I do care about you. That was true. I did fall in love with you. Also true. I really thought that being with me would ruin your career. Also true. And I was afraid it would ruin mine."

"Also true?" Andy mocked him.

"I needed the promotion so I wouldn't be in the field so often so my leg could heal." Sullivan tried to explain.

"You should have told me." She said.

"I know. But I didn't want to …"

"You didn't want what?"

"I didn't want you to ruin your life." He told her and she had to fight back tears.

"I can make this decision myself." She argued back.

"I know. And I am sorry." He said but she just nodded and turned around to leave the beanery. Sully knew he had to say something more so it would get through to her.

"Andy."

"That's not enough." She answered sadly.

"Forgive me, please. I never should have pushed you away." He tried and she stopped at the door, it was the truth and he had nothing to lose. "It scares me how I feel about you. It also keeps me going. I… I love you." He confessed and Andy turned around to look at him. Her features were hard and her eyes were shiny.

"And I believe you. But could have made a decision and be with me. And you told me to take a week off, remember?" She asked and he nodded.

"I was this close to do something stupid." He said and Andy didn't get the point, again. She was really tired.

"I wanted to be with you and I still do. And I also still think you would do better with someone else." He confessed and Andy blinked away tears.

"Why can't you let me decided that, huh? I told you already I wanted to be with you. But you picked your career over me, over us. So you don't get to tell me how you want to be with me." Andy said, upset. Really upset. That man would drive her crazy.

"I need a surgery." He said out of the blue. "And if I tell the department they'll make sure I retire. And if I don't, well… " He left that sentence open. "I didn't want to drag you into this. I wanted you to be the Captain and I wanted you to have everything cleared up as you start." He said, still trying to explain it to her. But it felt like he was just moving in circles.

"I can't do this now." Andy said and wanted to leave. Sully's leg was okay again so with couple steps he was right beside her. Touching her arm she spun around angrily. He backed away but noticed how she stopped.

"I'm old and damaged. I have a lot of baggage. And you're young, smart, kind and beautiful and you deserve better."

"Robert…"

"But I want to be with you." He said and Andy finally cried some tears. Sullivan took a deep breath.

"I love you." He said and Andy's eyes shot up and she searched his face for any kind of clues if he was being serious or not. "Forgive me, please." He pleaded and as she didn't seem to be in rage or trying to rip his arm off, he slowly moved his palm to her cheek and she sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get your forgiveness, Andy." He said and she just nodded.

"Say it again." She asked and he was confused a bit. But then he realized what she meant.

"I love you." He said and she smiled into his palm. He leaned in for a gently kiss and she let him. She melted into his arms and he hugged her close to him. Things weren't solved or forgotten or forgiven but right now only she mattered and she was there, with him, and she felt like she belonged there, right into that spot. Looking up she kissed him briefly and he knew he would have to thank Pruitt.

Maybe things will go wrong but right now she was perfectly happy and judging by the smile, so was he.