A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews and comments, and to thos who have already added me to their alerts and favourites. So here's chapter two, I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your thoughts or ideas on it!
Chapter 2 - Perfect.
She quickly made her way over to the door, mentally preparing herself for whatever Luke would have to say. Do I let him in? Hear him out? Tell him it was a mistake? She wrapped her hand around the cool golden metal and eased the door open. Before she could allow the visitor complete access, a whizz of brown hair flurried past.
"Luke? Dinner? Blonde?" Traci blurted whilst attempting to catch her breath.
Andy hid a small smile whilst surveying her friend's confused expression and noting the slight alcohol evident on her breath "Slow down" she ordered "What are you talking about?"
"Luke. I just saw him at the penny chatting up a frickin bimbo?" Traci explained, clearly appalled.
Andy shrugged her shoulders somewhat attempting to make her way to the couch again "well he moves on quick, I'll give him that' she sighed.
Before Andy could take another step closer to the couch, Traci gently grabbed her wrist turning her back to face her "Move on, why would he need to move on?" she asked, the confusion still painted on her face.
Andy laughed softly, "do you have Leo tonight?" she asked to which Traci shook her head in reply "Good, take a seat and I'll get the wine!" she ordered as she motioned to the couch.
Traci did as she was told and got herself comfy on the couch, preparing for a long night. Andy returned with two large wine glasses, filled with the tempting red liquid. She handed one over to Traci before taking a large gulp of her own, appreciating the comforting warmth she felt as it slid slowly down her throat.
"That bad?" Traci questioned.
"Actually…." She began as she lowered herself beside her friend and placed her feet on the coffee table in front of her "I feel fine."
"Right" Traci drawled out in disbelief.
"No really. I feel…" she pondered for a second, trying to find the right word "I feel relieved" she shrugged.
"I thought things were going good with Luke?" Traci pushed, taking another sip of her wine whilst a look of disagreement with her own statement became evident on her face.
"They were. But I….But he…" Andy couldn't find an answer. There was nothing wrong with Luke, but being with him never felt right either. She let out a quiet sigh and turned to face the pictures once again, deciding that she just didn't know what was wrong with him, he was perfect she thought.
Traci studied her friend quietly before replying "He was too perfect", as though she had heard each of Andy's thoughts.
Andy slowly turned back to face her, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner and so Traci continued "You, Andy McNally, are not perfect."
She sent a quick glare over to her friend, "Thanks Trace, you're meant to be cheering me up" she remarked in sarcastic appreciation.
"You said you didn't need cheering up" Traci argued.
"I didn't. I don't." Andy stuttered, turning her head so that her gaze rested upon those pictures once again, like some sort of safety blanket.
"Well then, you want the truth?" Traci asked, taking a large swig of her wine and curling her feet underneath her, so that she now fully faced Andy.
"You're gonna end up telling me anyway, so yeah – give it to me" Andy replied, shifting to mirror her friend's position on the couch.
"You are not perfect." She repeated, taking another small sip from her wine, "and Luke is practically perfect, y'know except the whole 'I'll work even though my girlfriend just killed a guy' thing he had going on" she mocked. Andy shot over a playful glare, urging her to get to the point "and well, I think he thought you'd be perfect and slot in his life."
"But I'm not perfect." Andy pointed out with a small grin.
"Exactly. It was never going to work." She decided.
Andy noticed that by now Traci's glass was borderline empty and so she made her way to gather the two bottles of wine that stood on the kitchen table. Returning to the couch, she looked over at Traci "Right, so I have question now." She stated as she began filling both their glasses.
Traci nodded as she reached forward for her glass "go on…"
"If you knew it was never going to work, why the hell didn't you tell me?"
Traci giggled in reply, her earlier consumption of alcohol now clearly taking affect with a little help from her wine, she eyed Andy carefully before replying "You wanted safe and boring, I gave you safe and boring."
Andy rolled her eyes and decided on a change of topic.
An hour or so had passed as they filtered through the division's gossip, ranging from Gail and Chris' 'weird' relationship to Oliver's ridiculous amount of food intake. They had just reached the end of the second bottle of wine and its effect was clearly evident in both of them.
They sat in silence for a few minutes and Traci noticed that Andy's gaze had once again landed on those pictures, 'out with it girl." She ordered.
"Huh?"
"I can practically hear the wheels grinding in that pretty little head; it's like Oliver's when he's deciding where to go for lunch… so what's up?"
"Just thinking about what you said earlier, 'safe and boring'" she mocked.
"And…?" she pushed, easing herself more comfortably into the couch.
"He wasn't always boring, he was…he was…he was nice" even she had to join Traci and laugh at her own pathetic attempt "Well, he was okay? He took me to the cabin that night and it was…it was…"
"Nice?" Traci suggested, a small smile resting on her lips.
"Yes Trace. Nice." Andy agreed sharply, although Traci noticed the small grin tugging at her lips.
"Since when did you like 'nice'?" Traci questioned, reaching back for her glass.
"Hey" Andy remarked, swiping at Traci's shoulder playfully, almost tipping the small amount of wine remaining in the glass "what's that supposed to mean?"
"Andy, c'mon" Traci replied "you and 'nice' would never work. You need fire, you need someone who'll make your blood boil, in and out of the bedroom" she added with a wink.
Andy just shook her head in reply and muttered something along the lines of 'you're drunk'.
"Seriously" Traci continued, ignoring Andy's comment and placing her now empty glass on the table "You don't need perfect, you need someone who'll screw up and who'll appreciate your screw ups, and then at the end of the day fall into bed together. Not perfect, but perfect for you." She finished.
"That should be on a greeting card somewhere" Andy replied with a small laugh.
"I know right?" Traci laughed to herself, she noticed the empty glasses that stood on the coffee table and reached for them "I'll put these in the sink"
Andy nodded "thanks."
Traci slowly made her way over to the sink, swaying slightly. When she finally reached the sink she placed the empty glasses into the small amount of water that rested in basin. She was about to make her way back to Andy when a flash of yellow caught her eye. Her gaze returned to the yellow that caught her attention and recognized the wet paper instantly. Her eyes ran over the name written in clear blue ink, similarly to how Andy had done so earlier.
"Sam Swarek" she stated out loud.
Upon hearing the name, Andy's head shot up as she peered over the back of the couch "what?" she attempted to ask nonchalantly.
"Someone who'll make you blood boil" Traci stated bluntly.
Andy made quick work of raising herself off of the couch and trailing over to where Traci still stood. Hoisting herself up on to the kitchen top next to the sink and glanced at Traci "what are you going on about?"
Traci revealed the paper in her hand and began waving it around in front of Andy, a cheesy smile plastered on her face. Andy rolled her eyes before swiping the paper out of her hands with a triumphant "ha!"
"Think about it" Traci exclaimed, completely ignoring the smug look painted on Andy's face.
"Totally inappropriate" Andy stated, not even prepared to converse on the subject.
"Me inappropriate? May I remind you why you froze his name to begin with?" Traci shot back.
"You said we'd never speak of it again" Andy replied, hoping that Traci would leave the whole thing in the past.
"You said you'd keep it frozen"
Damn it! Andy sighed; she knew Traci had her beaten.
"Not that I'm even considering it…" Andy pointed out before continuing "but it's against the rules" She can't argue with that, she thought.
"Like that would ever stop 'Badass Sam Swarek'" Traci replied with a giggle.
Damn it! "Look things with Sam are complicated and…"
"So uncomplicated them" Traci cut in.
Damn it! But…. "I just broke up with Luke"
"And the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else"
Damn it! Andy thought again, she took a long sigh before replying "Again, inappropriate"
"So what? He cares about you – you care about him… everyone's already expecting it"
"How do you know that?" Andy asked, her curiosity taking over.
"One word – retraining"
"Oh" Andy muttered, lowering her gaze to the interesting non-existent lint on the floor. She began to slowly sway her leigs back on forth, gently tapping her heel against the cupboard beneath her, silently praying for the conversation to end.
"Did you see him?"
"Yes Trace, obviously" her gaze remaining on the floor.
"Look Andy, its Sam Swarek – when does he ever just lose his cool like that? It was because of you!"
Andy quickly rose her head, her eyes fixing on Traci who was now rocking back and forth on her heels, her arms crossed across her chest "Oh thanks Trace, as if I didn't feel like it was all my fault already"
"No! What I mean is…Well what I'm trying to say is…" Traci sighed out of frustration, throwing her arms up in the before placing them on either side of Andy, her fingers uncurling to rest on her shoulder lightly "you remember earlier I said you needed someone who'll screw up and who'll appreciate your screw ups?"
Andy just nodded, already expecting what was to come next.
"Well who's always got your back when you screw up?" Traci asked, trying to meet Andy;s eyes with her own.
Andy mumbled something incoherent.
"What was that?" Traci asked cupping her ear with her right hand.
"Sam" Andy mouthed loudly, rolling her eyes.
"Exactly! And now he's screwed up, and no offence but he has good reason to."
"Where is this going…?" Andy sighed.
"Look you've both got the 'screw up' part done, now you just need to fall into bed together at the end of the day" Andy attempted to speak but was stopped by Traci, who was clearly not finished "Look you're both 'not perfect' but 'perfect for each other', just admit it."
"Admit what?" Andy asked, confused by her friend's drunken explanations.
"That you're perfect for each other" Traci confirmed, meeting Andy's gaze.
"That's it, we're done" Andy suddenly decided, jumping down from her current position, gently knocking Traci backwards.
"But…"
"Shut up" She responded, placing the empty bottles of wine in the trash can.
"But…"
"Shut up."
"Urghh…fine. You're no fun." Traci argued, once again folding her arms across her chest.
"I am fun, and you are drunk"
"I…I…" Traci began, placing her hands on her hip. Andy raised an eyebrow to Traci's pathetic attempt, and Traci admitted defeat lowering her hands to dangle lifelessly by her side "fine, I'm drunk" Traci confessed.
"I take it you're staying here tonight?" Andy questioned, taking in Traci's current swaying.
"Of course."
They both made their way over to Andy's, still undecorated, bedroom. Traci placed herself on the edge of the bed whilst Andy rifled through the chest of drawers for a pair of her own pyjamas. She tossed over a pair of shorts and t-shirt, before heading to the bathroom with her own set. Upon returning she found Traci changed and already lying amongst the lavender sheets. She jumped in beside her, both lying on their backs, eyes tracing the patterns on the ceiling.
"This reminds me of our old sleepovers at the academy…" Traci remarked, turning her head slightly.
"Yeah, the ones Dov and Chris would try and break into" Andy chuckled, as she shifted to face Traci.
"I've missed this." She admitted, locking eyes with Andy.
"Me too."
They both lay in silence for a few seconds before turning, so that their backs faced each other. Andy's mind slowly trailed through a number of subjects and began to lose herself to sleep, but before her eyes could settle for the night she heard Traci speak "Hey Andy?"
"Yeah Trace?"
"Promise me something?"
"Sure, what?"
"Promise me that you'll make sure you're happy, even if it means breaking the rules to be with the one that's perfect for you?"
"I.. I…." Andy stuttered, can I really agree to that? She thought.
"You said you'd promise" Traci reminded.
Andy let out a little sigh, "I promise Trace."
Traci fell asleep first, whilst Andy's mind processed the night's events. I am happy. I have my dad and good friends; she peeked over to the body beside her, Traci, Dov, Chris, even Gail. The only one I really don't have right now is Sam. She sighed quietly as her heart weighed heavily in her chest just thinking of him. He was a good of friend as Traci, if anything he knew more about me than she did. It doesn't even matter if we are perfect for each other; we're not even friends right now. He hates me. With good reason. I rejected him and then practically flaunted my weekend away with Luke. God, he hates me. Her mind continued to trail through muddle of thoughts, before sleep eventually took hold.