"Hello sleepy head" Shaw piped up as Andy opened her eyes at the feet entering her room.
"Hey" she replied in a raspy voice smiling.
"Feeling better?" He asked putting a large bunch of flowers on her bedside table in a room filled with flowers, balloons & teddy bears.
"Much! Ready for patrol in a day or two" she replied trying to hide her obvious pain.
"Slow down McNally, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you & have your back..." He replied slipping the words out trying to look like he let it slip by accident.
"Have my back? Under who's orders?" She asked now nosy by the slip.
"Oh crap..." He mumbled "nothing McNally, disregard that statement!" He attempted to put her off with a sheepish smile on his face now knowing she was such a nosy parker. Knowing what had to be done when he saw Sam slipping out her room at three am one morning when he popped by to hear if she was out her coma while Peck had a suspect in the emergency room getting stitched up.
"Spit it out Shaw, what are you hiding?"
"Oh well I'm not supposed to tell you this" pretending to give in to her demands.
"Swarek asked me a couple weeks ago to keep an eye on you"
"Sam?...Sam asked you to..." she thought for a second "Wait, a couple weeks ago he'd been gone since the middle of September. Three months wasn't a couple of weeks ago!When?... When did you speak to Sam?" She stumbled out trying not to sound as if she was as excited as she felt with her heart stopping at the news.
"Andy you can't tell anyone about this... Sam has been undercover for three months now but he calls me every other day to check on you. He left to protect you!" He tried a smile but seeing the pain in her eyes was damn near breaking his heart.
"Protect me? He damn just up & left me, & I need him & he's..." She began sobbing so much her words would not come out.
"Andy, Sam realized that Brennan could have easily taken you & not him. He blames himself for calling you that night. He doesn't want you to go through that again! He left you because he cares! He transferred to guns & gangs to get your personal file wiped clean by Superintendent Peck! He was protecting you the only way he knew how"
"No Oliver, he left because I let him, because I asked him to stay & then I left. I didn't stay..." Shaw did not know what more to say to her & was glad to be interrupted by the doctor who was coming to release her.
Sam knew he had to get this over with & soon before he lost his nerve to make the biggest play of his life- the play for Andy- for keeps. Heading out the door he was aiming on pushing hard & fast to make this bust, almost as if his life depended on it. Then he would ask for a transfer back to fifteen, damn the consequences.
Two weeks had passed & Andy was back at work for a week of working front desk. Three days before Christmas she thought with a shudder. Still reeling from Shaw's shocking revelation at the hospital Andy felt gloomier than she had ever felt before and more guilty than she ever had before. Three days she thought, you can make it through three days she said to herself as Traci walked into the locker room smiling.
"And that?" She asked eager To know what was making her friend smile so widely.
"Oh we just heard that an awesome band is at the Penny tomorrow night, so we've all made plans for our own Christmas party, sounds like fun! You will be coming!" Traci announced informing her that she will be tagging along.
"I don't know Trace..."
"I wasn't asking!" She said over her shoulder before making her way out the locker room.
Sam had always been a hard ass. This assignment was making him more so, that he could get out of here & back to his normal life. He was fuelled by determination & nothing would stand in his way. As lady luck would have it he happened to get his own way that very same night, his new business partners had been pushed to move forward a shipment of coke large enough to draw the attention of the coast guard & with his assistance they managed to get most of the guys locked up that night & the wee hours of the following morning.
Returning to his own house was heavenly for Sam after a quick shower he picked up his phone to put his plan into action.
"Hey Brother" Shaw answered seeing Sam's caller ID come up. "So all done are you?" He asked
"Yeah, all wrapped up & glad to be home. How's...Andy?" he asked hesitation clouding his voice.
"She's good; she came back on desk on Monday. But you need to have a talk to her Sammy! Believe me when I say that you two are the only idiots that can't see how you feel about each other." Oliver said hoping to convince his friend to put everyone out of their misery.
"That's why I'm calling, Shaw you need to book a band for the Penny Friday night" he said so with anticipation he could hardly contain himself.
" A band? What the hell for?" Shaw asked puzzled.
"Just do it!" Sam practically shouted in his ear "And here's what else you need to do..." Sam went into detail explaining his plan & telling Oliver the details of what happened the night Andy ran off.
After hanging up he made another call "Traci, hi it's Swarek..." Again dishing out his top secret instructions before making a final call to Tommy, Tommy McNally.
As Andy walked into the Penny she felt relief brought by the heat inside from the cold snowy night outside. Walking in she noticed the many familiar faces she always welcomed seeing- Chris, Dov, Gail, Luke, Jerry, Stone & even a pregnant Noelle sat with Frank. Well this will cheer me up she thought tomorrow was Christmas Eve & she was feeling everything other than Christmassy.
Making her way over to the table she saw Shaw & his wife Zoe had joined them too tonight. Sitting next to Traci Jerry offered to get a round & headed towards the jam packed bar.
"Great band tonight!" Everyone was remarking as the strumming of a guitar & drums soon filled the air of the now dimly lit Smokey bar.
After a few rounds of beers & tequila's Andy felt better, glad she had decided to join tonight. The band had taken a small break through which the table had a few refills of beers & plenty shots of tequila but soon the dimming lights signalled their return.
Andy who was now sitting with her back to the stage had not noticed much as she was deep in conversation with Noelle over her pregnancy when she heard the familiar guitar sound ripple through the almost now silent bar. 'Oh God not this song, not now!' She thought as she immediately recognized the tune. 'Keep it together McNally' she scolded herself in silence 'you can't crack now'
Damn it! It was the Song she had for Sam...
"Oh my God!" Gail shrieked obviously crazy about the song too Andy thought