A/N: Happy day before Thanksgiving! I really didn't think I'd get two chapters up before Thanksgiving, but surprise-surprise! This is the last chapter before their reunion. :) Let me know what you think!

Oh, and I really hope this doesn't force massive amounts of text into italics... the last time I included the words "maitre d'" in my text it did. So hopefully the formatting is okay. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Chapter 8: Day 25

Andy sighed pensively and stared out the front porch window. It was raining—yes, raining in late January—and she was bored. It was Wednesday, the Wednesday before their reinstatement, and she'd been missing Sam more than usual in the past couple of days. It didn't help that she hadn't heard from him since his message written in the sky. That had been over a week ago. As it got closer and closer to the point where they would be reinstated, she couldn't help but miss him more and more, and she wondered if he missed her anywhere near as much as she missed him.

Her subconscious told her that if she stared at the window long enough, maybe she would see him coming up her sidewalk with at least a letter and maybe a little package, too. It hadn't worked so far, but she had hope. There were only three more days of their suspensions left, and Sam was too chivalrous to let her wait until Sunday to say anything.

She sighed and pushed up off her couch, deciding she could at least bide her time by retrieving the mail the mailman had dropped off 17 minutes ago. She'd already read all the books she could possibly read, done all the errands she could possibly do, rearranged her living room, painted the kitchen, and even watched all the episodes of Hawaii Five-0 anyone could possibly see, just in case Sam actually liked her TV-show idea. Traci was at work, but Andy was sick of shopping, anyway.

She sighed and pulled her hoodie up over her head and pulled her front door open, only to stop short when a small package tumbled onto her feet.

Andy grinned widely.

Sam.

She reached down to pick up the package, the mail forgotten. How had he snuck a package between her screen door and the front door without her knowing it? She'd been sitting there for nearly an hour, and even before that, she would have heard the screen door. It screeched like an angry owl.

She slit open the envelope, frowning in disappointment when she saw how short the note was.

Babe,

Come to La Palette at 7:00 tonight. Your reservation is under Swarek.

Miss you,

Sam

That was all? After a week of nothing, he leaves her a brief note to go to one of the most romantic bistros in town, while they weren't allowed to see each other? She wanted to go to places like La Palette with Sam, not for him. Didn't he understand that?

She sighed and tucked the note back into the envelope and ripped open the paper covering the small box. Despite her disappointment, she couldn't help smiling when she saw what was inside the paper. That mystery romance she'd wanted to get her hands on for weeks. Earlier she just hadn't had time to read it, and when she'd gone to the bookstore to buy it earlier this month, it had been out of stock. How had Sam known that he wanted it?

When she flipped through the pages, curious, a piece of paper slipped from the pages of the book and fell to the ground. Andy reached down to pick it up, and smiled a little when she saw it was a longer letter from Sam.

Hey, baby…

So I figured you'd start overthinking and worrying and dragging your feet like you do about stuff like this. So don't. To be honest, I wouldn't want to do this without you, either, but we're still on suspension, and I want to do something really special for you before this month is completely over. I have it all planned out, babe, and you're gonna love it. I just know it. It's even gotten Traci's stamp of approval.

Now, onto other things. Where in the world did you get all those pictures of me? Not that I mind—I actually love that photo album story thing—but we're gonna have to keep that between you and me. Sarah or Oliver would love to get their hands on those and use them against me.

Baby, I can't wait to see you. I don't think I have missed anyone the way I've missed you. I just… I can't even think straight to compose a proper letter. You're on my mind all the time and I can't wait until that moment when we see each other again. These three days can't go by quickly enough.

Love,

Sam

She smiled to herself. That was better.

She hugged herself as she mentally inventoried her wardrobe. She wasn't sure she had anything fitting of a date at LaPalette. True, Sam wouldn't be there, but it didn't seem right to go to one of the most romantic restaurants in town dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt.

Andy stepped into the foyer of La Palette and studied the place. It was nice. Open, but an intimate setting. She approached the maître d'. "I have a reservation under Swarek," she said.

She wasn't quite sure what to expect. Sam said she'd love what he had in store, but she had no clue what to even expect. She'd never gone to a romantic restaurant by herself, and, quite honestly, as she'd gotten closer and closer to Kensington Market, she'd gotten more and more apprehensive about the idea. She would look so dumb, sitting in the restaurant by herself, and completely bored out of her mind.

At least it was French food. She was grateful, not for the first time, that Sam had taken enough interest in her all along to know what she liked and loved.

The maître d's face lit up. "You're the lady!"

Andy frowned at him quizzically. "I'm the… the what?"

"The lady! His lady! We have your table all ready for you. Come with me, please."

Andy frowned at him again. What in the world was going on? "Okay… but what's going on?"

The young man turned to look at her, grinning widely. "You mean it's a surprise? Oh, that's even better. He told us all about him and you and how you've been communicating all the way through your suspensions… I loved the writing in the sky part, did you like that part?"

Andy blushed. "Yeah, I actually kinda loved it."

The maître d' looked back at her again, beaming widely. "Here's your table, Miss… Um, what's your name?"

Andy rolled her eyes and laughed good-naturedly. She had never experienced a maître d' like this one—all bubbly and excited and romantic—but he was acting kinda cute, in a really zany way. "Andy. It's Andy."

He grinned. "Well, Andy, your food will be out in just a moment." He reached into his back pocket. "Annnnd, your man asked me to give this to you."

She accepted the card from him but gave him a strange look. "But I haven't even ordered yet."

He just laughed. "Your officer ordered for you. It has just finished being prepared a few minutes ago."

"Well, what did he order me?" Sam ordered her food? She knew he was pretty good at understanding her, but she didn't think he was that good.

"Le Végéterién."

She studied him dubiously, and he grinned again. "It's a ricotta and leek quiche, on a salad of butternut squash, caramellized onions, walnuts, pear, and Belgian endive with a maple buttermilk vinaigrette."

Her mouth watered just at the thought of it. For the most part, she didn't have any interest to eat a vegetarian diet, but when she ate French food, she preferred it. She wasn't a fan of the types of meat in French cuisine—duck and escargot were a bit too adventurous for her, and besides, the French just knew how to prepare their vegetables.

She thanked him for his time, and he took his leave. As she waited for someone to bring her food to her, she opened the envelope the young man had given her. She smiled when she recognized Sam's familiar scrawl.

Baby,

Surprised? Happy? I know how much you adoreee your French cuisine, so I figured this was something nice we could "do" just before we go back to work. It kills me that I can't sit across the table with you, pretending like this food makes me as happy as it makes you, but I'm doing the best with what I've got, here. This is only one of the many notes you'll be getting tonight. I hope you don't feel too lonely, sitting there all by yourself, but Andy, once this week is over, I promise I'll make it up to you.

Until the next note,

Sam

Andy grinned like a fool as she looked up from the note. If someone had told her a month ago that Sam Swarek was a hopeless romantic, she wouldn't have believed it. Tender, sweet, understanding, her strength, yes, she would have said all of those things. But romantic? She hadn't known he had had a romantic bone in his body. But this… this was perfect.

Before she could start to feel awkward, sitting there by herself, a waitress appeared before her, carrying a plate. She squealed as she set the plate down in front of Andy. "You're his girl!"

Andy blushed and smiled politely. "He told you, too, huh?"

"Everyone knows!" she gushed. "It's the most romantic story I've ever heard!" She slipped into the chair next to Andy. "How long have you been together?"

Andy blushed. She wasn't used to so much attention on her love life, and she wasn't sure she really liked it. "Um, about a month?"

"Haven't you both been suspended for a month?"

Andy nodded.

"Aww," the waitress cooed. She patted Andy's hand. "You should have seen him in here earlier. He was so cute, making sure we had every detail right. You'd think he was about to propose instead of take you on your first date." She pushed up out of the chair, and handed Andy another envelope. "Here. I'm supposed to give this to you."

Andy smiled politely and thanked her, watching as she disappeared from view. As soon as the woman disappeared, she took a bite of her food, humming in satisfaction, before she broke the seal of the envelope. She smiled when she saw the bold words written across the top of the page.

THE TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE MOST ABOUT ANDY MCNALLY

She loved that he had taken the time to do all of this. No wonder she hadn't heard from him since last Tuesday.

10. Whenever we're on patrol together, she keeps talking and talking and talking until I think my head is going to explode at the sound of that sweet, sweet voice.

9. She is filled with so much hope, love, and justice it takes my breath away.

8. She stares at me at parade when she thinks I'm not looking.

7. She decided to play along with my harebrained while-we're-suspended plan.

6. She made me a book so I will never forget what my life has been like with her in it.

5. When she kisses me, I feel like the most blessed man in the world.

4. She cried because she missed me so much.

3. She listened to my secrets and didn't run for the hills.

2. She showed up at the Alpine Inn and dared to hope that we had a chance for something more.

1. And most of all, she barged into my life two years ago, ruined my undercover op, and changed my life forever. Now I can't even imagine my life without her in it, and I don't ever want to.

By the time she finished reading his list, she felt tears pooling in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. They were going to mess up her make up, and there was nothing she hated more than crying in public.

She sighed, looking down at his last note and tracing his writing with her fingertips. How could he possibly be so perfect?

A moment later, a waiter from another section of the dining room appeared at her elbow. "Miss McNally?" he asked gently, and she looked up at him, hoping her tears hadn't affected her appearance too badly.

"Yeah?" she managed to get out.

He offered her a sympathetic smile and handed her a small folded up piece of paper. She thanked him before he stepped away, and she quickly unfolded the note.

Andy,

I am really not trying to make you cry, okay? This time I can't have Ollie give you a message for me. Please try and have a good time…

She smiled a little through her tears. She loved that he was still trying to protect her, to fix her problems, when he really had no control over the situation.

She took another bite of her food and let herself relax. The food really was amazing. She'd have to thank Sam for taking so much care to make sure this night was about the things she loved.

As she ate her meal, the staff trickled by her table, asking how her meal was and delivering short and longer notes from Sam. Some of them told stories that made her laugh so hard she thought she was going to cry, some of them teased her about how she always talked his ear off in their patrol car, and some of them were perfectly sweet, romantic gestures reminding her why he was crazy about her. By the time she finished her berry crême brulée and got ready to leave (the staff had assured her four times that Sam had already paid her bill), she couldn't help but think that this would be a date she would never forget.

As she was walking back toward the entrance of the restaurant to retrieve her dad's car, the maître d' called out to her. "Andy, wait!"

She turned around and grinned at the sight of the young man running toward her. "I have another note for you!" he exclaimed, pulling it out of his pocket. When it looked like she was about to take her leave, he said, "When your suspensions are over, come back together, huh?"

Andy smiled at him. "Okay. I'll see what I can do. Sam doesn't like French food much."

He grinned back at her. "Good. It was nice meeting you, Andy."

She nodded. "Thank you for everything."

When she was outside, she read the note by the light of the street lamps.

Go to Bellevue Square Park.

It was only a few blocks away, and the night was still young. Besides, she wanted to know what he had in store for her. When the east entrance of the park came into view, a young man jogged over to her. "Are you Andy McNally?" he asked.

She nodded, and he handed her a note. As he jogged away again, she smirked. Apparently Sam Swarek had a thing for notes. Gotothebenchbytheeastparkentrance.

For the next nearly forty-five minutes, Sam had Andy zigzagging all over the park, retrieving little notes for her.

You are beautiful tonight. I love the sound of your laughter. Only three days! You fill my life with so much joy…

By the time she found the last note and started walking back toward her dad's car, she was grinning broadly. She had never felt so beautiful, loved, or appreciated in her whole life.

Sam watched from his truck parked several yards away from the east entrance of Bellevue Square Park, smiling as he watched Andy walk back toward the restaurant where her car was parked. Sometimes he wondered if he should have asked her to go through with this plan all through their suspensions or not. He'd been watching her from a distance all night, and it had killed him when she had started to cry. Apparently, he'd made her cry a lot more than he'd wanted her to this past month. But then, she'd laughed so hard at that story that tears filled her eyes and all the surrounding people had turned to look at her, so maybe it was all worth it.

He followed her the whole way back to her house, only leaving when he saw the light come on in her living room. Three more days. He could do three more days.

He groaned as he turned off of Andy's street. Who was he kidding? Sunday morning couldn't come quickly enough.

A/N: Review, please! :)

I'm literally on my way out the door for work, so I don't have time to do any editing. I wanted to post this before I left. Please forgive any glaring grammar errors!