Thanks for all the reviews; I love the feedback. In fact, I hadn't even planned to write parts of this chapter until after I read the reviews.
Not enough Sam and Andy face time for my liking, but everyone needs a little girl talk once in a while - though Sam may not tend to agree after tonight.
For the first time in a week, Andy felt like she had really and truly slept. She woke up completely refreshed and after getting ready, she headed out the door to walk to work. Just as she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked up to see Sam resting against his truck with one coffee in each hand.
She smiled. "We have to stop meeting like this."
He grinned. "No we don't."
Andy tilted her head to the side, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. "I'm serious, Sam; I would've been fine walking."
"Yeah, but this coffee would've been cold by the time you got there."
She chuckled and grabbed it before climbing into the passenger side. "Thanks."
"Like I said…anytime."
They rode to the barn in a comfortable silence just content with each other's company and a good cup of coffee.
When they got to the station, they walked in together discussing the night's plans. Sam knew that Andy was having a ladies night with Traci, but she quietly confirmed that she would still be stopping by the hospital first before meeting Traci at her apartment.
As usual, Sam was the perfect gentleman, holding the door open and guiding her through first; it was second nature to him. They walked through the door continuing to discuss Andy's plans to get where she needed to go. She didn't want to ask Traci for a ride because she didn't want to dump it on Traci like that and Sam was trying to get her to accept a ride. He was only planning to go the Penny so he could easily give her a ride and head to the bar after. He thought he might also like to go in and see Tommy for himself but he wasn't sure how to broach that subject with Andy.
As they walked to the locker rooms, deep in quiet conversation, their progress was being closely monitored. Oliver and Noelle were already in uniform standing at Shaw's desk with Jerry and watching the duo intently. Jerry was grimacing as he recalled his conversation with Sam last night.
"I tried, man. Last night, I hit him with everything I had and he just stood up and walked out. It's someone else's turn now; I give up." He said.
"I don't think he's going to listen. He's had it bad for her from day one." Noelle confirmed. "And they obviously rode in together this morning; are you sure it's not too late for him already."
"No way." Jerry contradicted. "He would have told me...right? I think you should give it a go, Noelle. Maybe he'll listen to you."
She just laughed. "Don't hold your breath, Barber. Since when has Sammy ever listened to me? What about you Oliver?"
"I prefer staying on Sammy's good side."
Jerry wasn't being swayed. "We're his friends, man. – tough love, brother…tough love."
Oliver and Noelle exchanged looks; neither one was too keen on talking to Sam. He wasn't going to be very receptive and they didn't want to piss him off. But they did have their reservations about Andy. They both thought she was a nice girl; they just weren't sure if she was right for Sam. They'd both heard things in the locker room, and they didn't want her to break Sam's heart. Sam would not fare well if she ran out on him.
Before the conversation could go any further, Sam joined them. He was going to say something, but from the look on Jerry's face, he already knew what they were talking about. He said a quick good morning and headed straight for parade.
All three sighed knowing they'd been caught and followed him into the room.
Andy entered shortly after and sat down next to Traci. "You look better." Traci commented.
"Thanks, I feel a little better. It was a good night; I slept like a baby."
Not one to beat around the bush, Traci commented. "That looked like quite a conversation you were having with Swarek last night."
Andy blushed as Best walked in the room; she just rolled her eyes at Traci and mouthed, "Later."
Traci grinned glad to see a little life in Andy's eyes, though it was short lived. Andy was assigned to desk with Gail for the day and neither one of the ladies looked too happy about it. Unfortunately for both of them, there wasn't much they could do.
Before Sam left, he stopped by the front. "Don't leave before I get back." He ordered Andy; he was pretty sure he had convinced her to accept his ride, but he just wanted her to know he was serious.
"Fine…go." She agreed. He laughed as she pushed him towards the exit.
After about 10 minutes of uncomfortable silence, Gail spoke first, trying to be nonchalant. "So, you and Swarek…that was quick."
"What are you getting at?" Andy asked, rolling her eyes.
"Last night at the Penny, a ride this morning, 'don't leave before I get back'. I'm just saying…"
"Saying what, Gail?" Andy was getting frustrated with the blond already and they hadn't even been working together for a half hour.
"He likes you; don't hurt him." She blurted.
Andy was taken aback. "Are you jealous?" She wondered out loud before she could stop herself.
"Of course not." Gail protested. At Andy's look, she added, "I'm not."
Andy had seen her leave the Penny with Sam the night the ties were cut, but she didn't know what happened after that. Although she wasn't sure she wanted to know, she couldn't help her curiosity. "Did something..."
Gail exhaled loudly. "There was never anything between me and Swarek; yes I had a little crush, but I'm with Chris now."
"You still seem pretty concerned about Sam." Andy noted.
"I just think he's one of the good guys." She said as she thought back to that night when they walked out to get 'some air'. They talked for a few minutes and then both decided they just didn't want to be there. He waited till she got in her car and drove away before pulling out himself. "I just don't want to see him get hurt."
"I don't want to hurt Sam." Andy defended.
"He's not a rebound guy, Andy. Just because Callahan broke up with you doesn't mean you should just jump into something with Sam without thinking about it. He has real feelings for you and he doesn't deserve that."
Andy had had enough. "I am sick and tired of people assuming that."
She rolled her chair over to Gail and looked her in the eye speaking under her breath so no one else could hear. "I broke up with Luke OK…not the other way around and my feelings for Sam are part of the reason why I did it. Not the whole story, but definitely part of it."
Gail was completely baffled. "You broke up with Callahan? But…you were so sad…and did you know that…"
"I'm well aware of the picture Luke's been painting." Andy confirmed.
"Then why don't you say something?" She sure as hell would.
"Because I'm trying to be the bigger person here." Andy groaned, clearly frustrated. "I don't want to get into the whole he said she said thing. Does it bother me? Yes. But people are going to talk no matter what I do. And that's another reason why I haven't just jumped into things with Sam. I really do like him…a lot. But I don't want people to think that I'm using him to get over Luke."
Gail's eyes were still wide as everything was sinking in. "Why does he want you to wait for him?"
"You're the one that said he's one of the good guys and you're right. I've got some personal stuff going on and Sam is just being a friend. That's it. At some point, we both hope it will be more, but right now I have too much going on and it wouldn't be fair to Sam."
That surprised Gail; she really and truly thought that Andy was using Sam, when she couldn't have been further from the truth. Chris had tried to convince her last night that something else was going on but she believed the worst. Maybe this was why she always felt like she was on the outside looking in with her fellow rookies; the rest of them just seemed to have that trust that she hadn't awarded or earned yet.
"I'm sorry, Andy."
Andy wasn't going to hold a grudge. "You didn't know."
"I know, but I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
Gail decided to extend on olive branch. "Do you want me to get people to back off? Do you want me to tell them that you broke up with Callahan?"
"Thanks for the offer, Gail, but as long as Sam knows that's all that matters to me."
They sat in a more comfortable silence for a few minutes until Gail stood up. "Wanna coffee?"
"Sure…thanks."
The rest of the day was spent working and even chatting a little. Andy was actually happy that Gail had said something even if it was snarky at first. It cleared the air. Although Andy was never really close to Gail, she was close to Chris and she wanted to at least get along with the blond. With the air clear, they might just be able to do that.
At the end of the shift, Gail decided that the day had gone well enough that she could press her luck. "So what is going on with Swarek tonight? Why do you have to wait for him?"
Andy laughed. "He's just giving me a ride somewhere, that's all. I know he's a good guy Gail, believe me I know."
"Is everything ok?" She asked, remembering Andy's demeanor earlier in the week.
"It will be." Andy answered and she was pretty sure that it would…eventually.
Gail accepted that and let it go.
Sam had been working alone and was worried when he got a call late in the day, but he was able to get it cleared up quickly. He was happy when he got back to the station to find that Andy had waited for him.
After they both got changed, he drove her to the hospital and was glad when she agreed to let him come in with her when she went to see her dad. They only stayed for about a half hour, long enough to ensure he was doing fine. Tommy kept looking between the two wondering what was going on. He knew that Andy had broken up with Luke and it didn't bother him in the least. He was surprised to see that Sam had accompanied Andy, but it was a pleasant surprise. He always liked Swarek and if he was reading things right, his daughter seemed to like him too.
When they left, Tommy was feeling pretty good about things, and he was happy that Andy had someone like Swarek to give her the support that he was never able to give her.
After a quick stop at her dad's, Sam dropped Andy off and he headed over to the Penny. Sam was just leaving the curb when Traci pulled up. She returned his wave but not without a curious look; she had not expected to see him there.
Andy opened her door to find Traci and a big bag of takeout. Andy had barely closed the door behind her when Traci asked. "So were you just with Swarek?"
"Sam gave me a ride." Andy said as she walked into the kitchen to get the plates and glasses. The wine was already on the coffee table.
"That's all you're going to give me? Sam gave me a ride?" Traci couldn't believe it. "Andy, I saw the conversation last night and then he drives you into work this morning; then you tell me you had a great night's sleep and now he's dropping you off again. Andy…"
Andy laughed. "Dish up and I'll start talking."
Traci was still half shocked. "OK but start from the beginning. I have a feeling I have a lot to catch up on."
Andy started talking the minute she sat down. She began by telling Traci about her weekend and how she broke up with Luke after she cancelled on his dinner plans. Traci was the perfect friend responding with just the right amount of name calling and verbal abuse.
Andy explained about going to see her dad each night, which was why she was so tired. Traci, like Sam, was wondering why she didn't ask for help. Andy knew Traci wasn't getting any more help from Dex and she knew she had enough on her plate with taking care of Leo; Andy just didn't want to add any more pressure.
"So was Swarek trying to get you to tell him what was wrong last night then?" Traci wondered.
"Yes."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And did you…tell him?"
"I did." Andy confirmed. "He thought I was upset about Luke breaking up with me and that's the last thing I wanted him to be thinking so I told him."
"How much did you tell him?" Traci asked, extremely curious.
"Everything I just told you, from breaking up with Luke to my dad being in the hospital; he knows it all."
"Does anyone else know?"
"Well, Luke knows that my dad went into the hospital, but he doesn't know the extent of it and he hasn't even bothered to find out. I'm not sure if I'd tell him anyway."
Traci had a few more choice words for Callahan, but decided to keep them to herself. "Are you going to tell anyone else?"
"I don't really want people to know about how bad things are with my dad. Gail knows something's going on but I didn't tell her what. I'm not quite ready to share so please don't tell anyone that he's sick or why he's sick."
"I won't Andy; you know you can trust me." Traci assured her before a huge grin broke out across her face.
Andy lifted her eyebrows, apprehension in her voice. "Should I ask what you're thinking?"
"Andy, this is huge. You trusted Swarek with this."
Andy giggled a little. "I know. But you don't know the half of it."
She proceeded to let Traci know that Sam also picked her up from the hospital and took her for supper. She told her how he kept her entertained with stories, and how he picked her up for work with a coffee this morning and took her to the hospital tonight.
"He really likes you." Traci said.
"I know, Traci. And I'm pretty sure you know how much I like him."
"I do. I wish I would have known a long time ago though because he never would have been put on ice. If I knew then what I know now about how great Sam is and what an ass Luke is, it would have been a whole different ball game."
"Yeah well, hindsight's 20-20. I wish I would have made some smarter moves myself."
"What are you going to do? I mean about Sam."
Andy looked down at her drink contemplating. "He said he wanted more and I told him I wanted that too, but I don't want to jump into anything. I need to get through this stuff with my dad first."
She looked up at her friend. "When I start something with Sam, I don't want anything to get in the way."
Traci was happy for her; Andy deserved it. "I'll do whatever I can to help."
Andy wasn't sure if she should ask or not, but thought it might be worth a try. "Does that include talking to Jerry?"
"What?" Traci looked a little panicked; she and Jerry had been in limbo since Dex left again.
"Never mind; it's OK." Andy dismissed.
"Andy!" She warned. "Spill."
"I know he's Sam's friend, and he's just looking out for him. But I'm getting tired of him telling me that I'm no good for Sam. I know I'm not perfect, but I want a shot with Sam…a real shot. And it's just hard when his best friends don't think I'm good enough. I'm trying not to let it get to me, and I don't think Sam will listen, but if this is going to work, they have to be able to accept me. I don't know how to make that happen."
"Maybe you should tell Jerry what's going on or have Sam tell him." Traci suggested.
"No." Andy refused. "I really don't want anyone to know how bad things are."
"How bad things are? Are you telling me everything?"
Andy hadn't told Traci about the possible transplant because she didn't want to worry her if she didn't have to. "I guess it's easier when people are just speculating. I know he's made a mess of things, but I don't want to shout it out to the world."
"OK. I wish I could say yes, but we really don't talk about anything unless it's work related right now." Traci revealed. "But if I get the chance, I'll tell him to back off."
That's all Andy could ask.
Once they had exhausted the topics of Andy's father and potential love life, they moved on to talk about the rest of the rookies. When Traci started going off about Gail the other night, Andy assured her that everything had been settled between the two of them.
Over at the Penny, Sam had been sitting with Noelle, Jerry and Shaw for the last couple of hours. So far, it had just been shop talk with nothing too serious, but Sam wasn't holding his breath. His three friends kept exchanging looks as if each were trying to persuade the other to talk to Sam.
He knew his reprieve had run out when Oliver and Jerry walked away leaving him with Noelle. "So you must have pulled the short straw, huh?" Sam asked keeping his eyes on his drink.
Noelle looked at him puzzled until she realized that Sam knew exactly what was going on.
"I'm going to tell you what I told Jerry; I know what I'm doing. It's nice to know you guys have my back and I appreciate it. But you're wasting your time; I don't need to be protected from McNally."
Noelle raised her eyebrows, tilting her chin at the same time. She was definitely skeptical.
"You don't believe me." Sam responded, stating the obvious.
"You have to admit that your judgment's a little clouded when it comes to McNally." Noelle challenged.
"I know what I'm doing."
"Sam, you've been hung up on her for months now."
"I'm not denying that I have feelings for Andy."
"What are you denying?"
"I'm denying that she's using it against me."
"Sam, even when she was with Callahan; she always came to you for help. And now as soon as he breaks up with her, she comes crying to you again. Jerry told me about last night."
"She didn't come crying to me." Sam contested. "I knew she was upset and I asked her to talk."
"You don't really expect me to believe that you encouraged her to cry on your shoulder about Callahan dumping her."
"Actually she set me straight on that subject." Noelle didn't catch Sam's meaning as she was too focused on her task at hand.
"But she's already taking advantage; she's got you driving her around like a chauffeur."
"I'm her partner and her friend, and I have her back too."
"But you want more."
"Dammit, Noelle. That's beside the point."
"But you can't deny it."
"Again…not the point."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is that right now my partner is going through some personal problems…" Sam held up his hand to stop Noelle from interrupting him.
"That have nothing to do with Callahan." Sam stressed.
"It has everything to do with Callahan." Noelle argued. "She's just using you because she doesn't want to be alone. Her boyfriend just left her, her mom ran out on her and her dad might just as well have." Tough love, tough love. "Are you sure that you're not just the next warm body?"
"Whoa…I'll have you know that she just spent the last week…" Shit; he just about blew it again.
Sam took a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's not what it looks like. You've got the wrong idea."
With that, Sam placed his money on the counter, got up and left. He didn't even turn around when Oliver and Jerry tried to call him back. He knew they were just trying to protect him, but they only saw the bad. He knew Andy had some issues with trust, but she was already starting to get past that. She had trusted Sam last night and even he was surprised at how happy that made him feel. And he sure as hell wasn't going to abandon her because things got a little tough. He didn't work that way.
And he was going to prove it to her.
Well at least Gail redeemed herself a little...now are we all mad at Noelle? :)