Chapter 5

A couple days later Emma walked into Andrew's apartment carrying a bag a fresh bagels. He was currently sitting at his desk.

"Bagels are up?" Emma said setting them down on the table. "Why am I always doing crap for you? Come on, eat!" She scanned around Andrews apartment, it was back to it's usually messy state. Papers were everywhere.

"You know, I bet if I didn't feed you, you'd never eat."

"I'm almost done. Just proofreading." Andrew said scanning his computer screen.

"Writing the report?" Emma asked, putting her keys down.

"Yuppies." Andrew said. "I've talked to a couple newspapers to see if they'd be interested." He pulled out a paper and thrusted it at Emma. "Here, sign this release form and I can put your name on it." He smiled. She took the paper and signed her name. She put it back down on a pile of similar papers. Noticing these were more release forms she turned to Andrew.

"Are these for the others?" She asked. Andrew nodded, still looking at his computer. Emma frowned. "So, you need them to sign it?"

"Yeah, that's what a release form is for." He replied. She fully turned to him and put her hands on her hips.

"Meaning, you're going to have to tell them what you did for this experiment." She said. Andrew stopped typing mid-sentence. "Let me correct that," Emma stared again. "You're going to have to tell Catherine what happened." Andrew visibly paled.

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but no sound was coming out. Emma looked at him. "Speak." She said.

He took a breath and a tirade of colorful words pierced Emma's ears. Andrew looked completely disheartened and Emma didn't know what to do. She looked around the apartment to find something to distract him.

"Look!" Emma said, grabbing a paper. "A really complicated math equation!" She shoved it at Andrew in an attempt to cheer him up. He looked at it then glared at her.

"That's from an experiment I can't figure out at work." He growled. Emma hastily crumpled it up and threw it behind her. "I needed that." Andrew said staring at the place where the paper lied.

"I thought you were good at that math stuff that has to do with chemistry… what's it called…. stoke-something?"

"Stoichiometry."

"Wow, chemistry. The only area where you can outdo me." Emma muttered. Andrew glared.

"Stoichiometry is very important for chemistry! If you have a chemical equation and use stoichiometry to turn the moles into grams, you'll have everything you need to know for an experiment!" Andrew defended. "What else can do that?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Emma said absentmindedly. "It's all very scientifical." Andrew visibly winced and just stared at Emma disbelievingly.

"Oy..." Andrew shook his head. "Just... oy... How exactly did you become a certified police officer?" Emma swatted his head.

"Ow!"

"Focus!"

"Well if I'm going to an early grave I might as well get it over with." Andrew declared. He grabbed the release forms and marched out the door.

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Andrew burst through the police department doors with his usual 'Andrew-flair'. Catherine and Steve were at Catherine's desk, and Robin was with Regina at his own desk. Emma hurried in behind Andrew, prepared to do damage control. He walked right up to Catherine and threw down a folded paper in front of her. Only a signature line was visible.

"Hey Cath, can I get your autograph?" He asked. Emma stopped in her tracks and facepalmed. Catherine looked at him.

"Why?" She asked shortly.

"Because you're basically a celebrity with all your badass detective work and bringing down all those bad guys and you're sort of like a hero, yeah a hero of the streets with a cape and-" Catherine interrupted Andrew's punctuation-less rant by snatching the paper and unfolding it. She read the contents of the release form and her face turned as red as a tomato.

"AH! Itwasforagoodcause!" Andrew said really quickly. She turned to him and if wasn't for her extensive police training she would have lunged over the desk and strangled him. Instead, she walked around her desk and pinned him up against the wall. Everyone else rushed to calm the angry Detective Inspector.

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Andrew is currently sitting in the emergency room nursing a black eye courtesy of one Catherine Rollins. Emma silently laughing beside him

"Don't say it." Andrew warned. Emma burst out laughing, holding her sides.

"You have to admit, you had it coming." Andrew scowled and swatted at Emma. Catherine, Steve, Robin and Regina walked through the doors and approached Andrew's bed. Catherine glanced at Andrew's eye.

"Aw, it's smaller that I had hoped." She said.

"Someone's got anger issues." Andrew muttered. Catherine's eyes blazed, but Steve caught her arm.

"You can't use him as a punching bag anymore! He's fragile!" Emma said. Andrew scoffed, and Robin laughed.

"I would say that's a bit inaccurate Emma." Robin said. Emma and Catherine looked puzzled.

"He's a rock climber." Robin continued. "And last week he climbed for four hours straight, then belayed for another two. And we go to the gym together every morning." Andrew looked triumphant. Catherine and Emma looked shell shocked.

"Wha.." Emma said.

"I think you want to get your hand checked for bruising." Robin said to Catherine. "It's kind of like... I don't know, punching a werewolf or... something."

"Because everyone's punched a werewolf..." Regina muttered.

"I think I'll be fine Robin. My Dad's a Navy Admiral and I have an older brother in the DUDs program I think I know how to throw a punch." Catherine said.

Andrew shrugged and said, "Well you never know Cath-" Catherine shot him a death glare. "-erine.." He quickly finished. Catherine raised her eyebrows.

"Hm, it's trainable" She said thoughtfully. Emma snorted.

"It!" She was holding her sides and laughing. Andrew scowled at her.

"Last time I checked I was not an 'it'" Andrew huffed crossing his arms across his chest dramatically.

"It's okay buddy." Robin said patting Andrews shoulder sympathetically. "But next time, let's try to not use this one as a subject for an experiment" He finished, pointing towards Catherine as he spoke.

"Yeah, I don't think that was your brightest idea." Emma said laughing slightly as she spoke.

"I'm glad you all find my pain amusing." Andrew rolled his eyes.

"Very." Regina said. Andrew's eyes widened and he looked appalled.

"Great, now even you're on their side?" Andrew said.

"I've always been, dear." She replied crossing her arms.

"Huh, you're all sadists." He said.

"It's not the first time I've been called that." Regina said calmly. Andrew glanced warily at her and slowly scooted away.

"Your girlfriend's scary." He muttered to Robin.

"I know." Robin replied. Regina smirked at both of them. Andrew shivered, but then pulled something out of his pocket.

"I'm already in the emergency room so... can I have your autograph?"