"Hey you," Andy said, smiling when Sam rolled over to face her.
"Hey yourself," he yawned, pulling her close.
She nuzzled in the crook of his neck while he took her left hand in his right. Their fingers intertwined automatically and he rubbed small circles with his thumb.
She pulled back and kissed his jaw, close to his ear. "I'm going to go take a shower."
"Yeah?" he said, smiling.
"Yeah," she answered smiling back.
He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her soft lips, barely holding back a sigh. He had been waiting for this forever, and it was even greater than he imagined.
She ran her tongue along his lower lip and he groaned into her mouth. He pulled back with a considerable amount of self restraint.
"Go," he said, flinging an arm over his eyes.
She giggled and went to the bathroom.
The bloody towels still littered the bathroom counters and floor. She felt a little nauseous, but managed to take a few deep breaths and jumped in the shower.
She turned the water until it was burning hot, searing her skin. She began to cry again.
Forgetting about what happened yesterday had been easy last night, but everything had a way of surfacing at the worst times.
Sam heard her and made his way into the bathroom. He hesitated only a moment before jumping in the shower with her.
"Shh, shh," he comforted her, hugging her to his chest, like he did last night.
Blood mixed with tears as it swirled down the drain.
He tilted her head back, so she was looking into his bottomless brown eyes.
"I love you, Andy," he told her. "And I'm here for you. Always. You know that right?"
Andy was shocked by his words, but it sent warmth through her body that had nothing to do with the hot water pelting her body. It warmed the numbing pain that had been spread through her body since she watched Sean die.
"I know," she whispered. "And I love you, too," she told him, kissing him.
She surprised herself by knowing this was true. She felt happy, truly happy in a way that she hadn't for a long time.
The water grew cold and the two of them stepped out, feeling clean and refreshed.
Sam's cell phone rang shrilly in the next room. He quickly wrapped a towel loosely around his hips and went to go answer it.
Andy couldn't help admiring him as he walked away. He was hers, all hers. The thought brought a smile to her lips and she followed him into the next room where he had already started talking on his cell phone. From his demeanor, she could tell it had to do with Lawton.
She went up behind him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her cheek on his back, listening.
"Hey, Ray, what can I do for you man?" Sam paused listening to his answer. "A meeting, sure. Me and Andy will come-," he was cut off. "Alone? Sounds interesting. When? A half hour? Alright, see you there."
Sam hung up the phone and flung it across the table. He rubbed his face with one hand, thinking.
"What did he want?" Andy asked, even though she got it for the most part. "How come I can't come to the meeting?"
"I have no idea," he said. "I don't like the sound of it, but what else can I do?" Sam said, frustrated.
He looked at Andy whose forehead had creased with worry. He kissed away the lines. "I'll be okay, Andy. This is our chance to take him down for good. Put him behind bars where he belongs so he can't go after people like Sean again."
"You can't go alone. After what happened with Sean…I can't lose you Sam, not after I just found my way to you!" she cried out.
Sam hugged her, resting his chin on the top of her head.
"I'm not putting you in any danger," Sam said, firmly.
"Just let me go with you. No smart cop goes in without backup," Andy reasoned.
Sam didn't answer. "You would just follow me anyway wouldn't you?" he finally asked.
"Yeah, probably," Andy replied.
"Alright, you can come. Just make sure you stay hidden," Sam agreed.
"Thank you," Andy said, relieved. She honestly didn't think that Sam was going to let her go and she wasn't looking forward to practicing her stalking skills.
He tucked a stay piece of her hair behind her ear and kissed her. Then he walked into the bathroom, presumably to finish getting ready for the big meeting.
Once he was safely out of earshot, Andy dove for her phone.
She quickly scrolled through her contacts, looking for the one person she could trust. She looked over her shoulder, making sure that Sam was staying put.
The phone rang and she closed her eyes, willing someone to pick up on the other line.
"Hello?"
"Oliver!" Andy exclaimed, happy he answered the phone.
"Oh my god, McNally?" He hadn't heard from McNally or Sam in months.
"No time, just listen to me, please." She explained the situation, listened to Oliver's response and hung up, just in time.
She slung on some dark jeans and a T-shirt. She slung her wet hair back in a ponytail and had her gun securely strapped to her side.
"You ready?" Sam asked.
"I'd much rather be spending the day in bed," Andy said suggestively. "But we've got bigger fish to fry."
"Okay," he said. She could tell he was nervous. "I'm going to drop you off a few blocks from the pier. Stay hidden, and be. careful."
"Hey, Sam?"
He sucked in a huge breath and then let it out slowly. "Yeah?"
"I love you."
That brought a smile to his face, his dimples showing. "C'mon McNally."
"Hey, Ray, how's it going?" Sam asked, casually walking over to where Lawton was flanked by two guards.
He looked around, acting the part of the shifty addict, but really he was scoping for Andy. There were plenty of buildings that Andy could be shrouded by and Sam could feel the knot in his chest releasing a little bit.
She was safe and she would stay that way. But right now, he had to take this guy down and do it now, without getting himself killed in the process.
"So, uh, what did you say this meeting was for? When you called on the phone, it sounded important-,"
"Enough," Lawton held up a hand for silence, which was obeyed.
Sam eyed him warily. Something was up. Lawton knew something.
"You were there when that boy, Sean was shot correct?" His voice was chilling. Sam didn't like where this was going.
"Yes, sir."
"You knew he owed me money, right?" Sam nodded. "Well, it really is funny how far addicts will go to save their own skin. Leave to tweak another day," Lawton chuckled humorlessly. "Sean came to see me before he got killed, did you know that?"
Sam hesitated, trying not to show his surprise. The little rat. "No, sir I didn't." Shit, Andy needed to get out of here.
"And you know what he told me?" Lawton asked, pacing around the pier. There was a little wind, making the air slightly chilly because they were so close to the water. "He told me that you and your little girlfriend are cops."
He looked right at Sam. "Cops. Isn't that something?" Lawton's face was hard as he looked at Sam. "Isn't it." It was no longer a question.
Sam started to back up, his hands up in the typical 'I surrender' pose. "Hey, man, listen-." He stopped when Lawton's guys moved forward and got behind him, leaving him trapped.
Lawton raised his hand and gestured to something out of Sam's line of vision. A man came out, easily pinning Andy's arms behind her back as she struggled uselessly.
"So much for coming alone, huh, Sam," Lawton said.
The man threw Andy down on the pier in front of Lawton. Sam saw her reach for her gun to find it had already been taken.
She shot a helpless look at Sam and mouthed the words, I'm sorry.
Sam went to go to her, but was stopped by the two goons behind him. Fighting was useless, but he tried it anyway. "Run Andy, run!" It was a last attempt and it really did no good. Lawton hoisted her roughly to her feet, holding her close to his face.
"You ready to go down for your partner?" Lawton leered at her.
Sam relaxed his arms in the grip of the two men and as soon as he relaxed, they did too, just enough so that he could break free. He started to go to Andy again.
"One more move and I'll inject her," Lawton said, shielding his body with Andy's. He had a thin needle held up to her neck.
Sam had a clear view of the panic in Andy's eyes. She clawed at the man's arm around her neck, but he held fast, his eye locked on Sam's, daring him.
"Listen, Lawton, it doesn't have to be this way," Sam said, trying to think on his feet. But the man had Andy and he wasn't thinking clearly, he just knew he had to get her out.
Sam saw Andy's eyes catch on something behind him, and she relaxed. He wondered what she saw that made her so much calmer, but he wasn't going to turn around and find out.
"Just let her go and you can have me. I'm the one you want right?" Sam held out a hand.
"Don't move!" Lawton screamed.
Sam heard a scuffle behind him and turned to find Oliver and Noelle taking down the two men and clipping them in handcuffs. He also saw Dov and Chris with their guns pointed at Lawton, but Sam could see that no shot was available, even from where he stood.
Sam longed to ask how they knew they were here and in trouble, but there would be time for that later, or so he hoped.
"I'd give up any time now," Sam said, still attempting to talk the guy down. He could see Lawton was getting nervous as he saw his guys get taken down so easily. The needle in his hand shook, dangerously close to Andy's flesh.
Sam started walking closer. A couple more steps and he would be there…
"I said, don't MOVE!" Lawton exploded into action on the last word. He jammed the needle into Andy's neck and took off.
Dov and Chris were there and took him down easily, slapping handcuffs on the guy and dragging him towards the cop car. "This isn't over!" he screamed, but Sam barely heard.
He rushed to Andy's aid, catching her right before she slammed onto the pier. He ripped the dangling needle out of her skin and held her in his lap.
Her eyes were half closed, just little slits not focusing on anything. "Andy? Andy, can you hear me? I need you to stay with me, babe. Stay with me. I'm here for you, I'm not going anywhere."
Sam looked behind him and yelled, "Hey, I need some paramedics over here!"
He looked back down at Andy who groaned and was trying to say something.
"Andy, I am so sorry. I should never have let this happen. This is all my fault." Against his better judgment, he began to cry. "Please, you have to be okay. Please." He leaned down to bury his face in her hair.
"Sam, I…" she attempted to say, but then she succumbed to the darkness that surrounded her.