This story seemed to flow right out. Don't worry I won't abandon my other stories in fact right now I'm editing them because all of the mistakes that bother me. This chapter is longer than the other.

Provenza watched Andy try to make a pot a coffee. It wouldn't start. This left Andy leaning his head back. There was nothing he could do. It seemed like he was not only giving up on making coffee, but he was also giving up the day. "What's with the gloomy face?"

Flynn never realized his partner was standing there. He lifted his head up. On this day he seemed to over use a smile. "Noting, I just need a drink. Yeah that would be great."

Louie huffed, "That does sound good, doesn't it? But…" Provenza pointed to his best friend's AA ring. "Wouldn't want to throw away what that's worth, right?"

Andy looked down at his ring. Sometimes it wasn't worth it. Just one or two drinks and his sorrowed memories would be washed away. He couldn't do it. He not only promised to his kids and himself, but to her. He promised not to forget…everything…they had that was special.

"Why?" She asked out loud trying to start conversation

"Why what?" He was driving around on patrol with her riding shot gun.

"Why does every star burn out? Why do gas prices go up? Why do we have to go on patrol? Just why?" She looked over to him in a half serious, half flippant look.

Out of her surprise, he laughed. When she complained, it always had a point. It also came with style. "Gas prices are going up? Well, shit!"

She gave him a glare. "Really? I'm being serious." She lightened up and resituated herself. "And yes they are."

He gave her a sideways grin. "All I'm saying is that we should be catching bad guys and be bad asses, but no we can't. We have to go on patrol as punishment."

"And Detective Hawthorne, how did we get into trouble-"

"Stop it right there. No going into to the royal 'we' crap." Andy watched her for a second with a look that would kill, or in this case, make her confess. "Okay let's make a quote shall we?" She puffed her chest out and made a deep voice. She stood up straight and began. "Detective Andy Flynn and Samantha Hawthorne, why must you two act like foolish idiots? I sentence you to patrol for a week." Her quoting wasn't entirely right, but in the end it got the same result. She got out of character. To make her final point she threw her hands in the air. "What no trial?"

"Red, why are you always a trouble maker?" Andy cocked his eyebrow up.

"First and for most…stop calling me Red!" Flynn called her Red because when out in sunlight, the highlights in her hair blend to make an almost red. "Secondly, if I recall correctly, wasn't it always you in high school that got into trouble?"

"And weren't you always the goody two shoes that kissed up to every teacher?" They stared at each other, but he interrupted. "You know, you would have made a better lawyer."

Her face expression changed; almost saddening. Before anyone could say anything else, the radio came on. "I need all units on 67 Birmingham Street. West side of town. Someone is calling for a disturbance. Shot guns fired, so I caution: Be careful."

Andy flashed the lights on. "Guess it's time to prove 'we' aren't just troublemakers."

To have the last words Samantha said, "Again with the royal 'we'."

"Like all good things, stars burn out." Flynn said while looking at the liquor on the shelves. This wasn't a good place to be; not now anyway. He gulped down a drink of his Cranberry soda.

Provenza set his glass of white wine down. "What?" He had no clue what Andy was talking about.

"It's nothing." Andy didn't want to explain a memory that was just theirs. No one else knew about, not even his closet friend would know about it.

"You've seemed…" Provenza was beginning to say, but stopped himself by a sip of his drink.

"I've seemed what?" Flynn cocked his eyebrow up wanting an answer. He was very curious.

Provenza waved his hand off while finishing off the last of his wine. "Oh nothing….Well alright. You've seemed so parted away from everything lately like disinterested. Are you feeling okay?"

Andy gave an eye roll. To anyone he would seem like he was depressed. He knew that was how he was acting, but was it what Provenza was thinking? "I'm fine."

"Okay, let's get this straight." Provenza turned the stool toward Flynn. "We've been partners for nearly how many years?"

Flynn knew it was a rhetorical question, but he managed to come up with a smart ass comment. "What, too old you forgot? I guess it comes with age."

"That is how I know you're lying!" Provenza was trying to make a point.

Andy nearly choked on a piece ice. "How?"

"You become cynical and come up with smart ass comments to hide your lies or feelings."

"You've been watching too much Doctor Phil" Andy was starting to enjoy his picking at Louie. Maybe picking on Provenza let some sort of release out. It made him forget the reason why he hurt so much. Sometimes just having a little fun (just a little) made him feel better about everything.

Louie did the same thing as Samantha when making a point. He threw both hands up for his final closing. "Okay don't tell me, but just don't let whatever this is eat you from the inside out. Don't let it give you the temptation to drink." Provenza was getting agitated, so instead of blowing up in public he paid his tab and walked away.

"She was beautiful." And sips on his drink as Provenza turns around.

"Who was?" Louie sat back down to hear Andy's story. He was very interested.

Flynn was hesitant to answer. He never said a word about her after she died. It was hard not to talk about someone he loved for twenty-five years, but he managed. "Samantha, her name was Samantha Hawthorne. We were partners when we were both in Robbery Homocide many years ago."

"And?" The old-aged man kept pushing his friend to tell him the whole story.

Andy looked over to bar to see all the liquor. This story was going to be long and every second that passed would give him a bigger desire to have a drink.

The air was cold, but he was warm. She snuggled into his arms to keep from shivering. His body gave off heat like a thermostat. Their movie was over. The credits came on as the music slowed down and became quieter. She reached for the remote, but fell off the couch in the process. Sam thought Andy was asleep, but he wasn't. He was instead laughing at her while she got up. "It's not funny."

"Well I'm laughing." He continued laughing just to annoy her.

She rolled her eyes "Ass," She walked toward the kitchen. All the while, Andy fell back to sleep on his back, and with his head resting on the couch arm. When she came back with a glass of water, she noticed quickly that he was snoring. Instead of waking him, she grabbed her camera. It was one of those picture taking moment that you couldn't miss. That was her hobby. On her free time all she would do was take pictures of random things.

She straddled his lap. He never moved. Sam carefully moved his head in the perfect angle. After the picture was taken, she realized her mistake. She forgot to turn the flash off.

He woke up. "What the…?"

"I'm sorry to wake you." She bit her bottom lip.

Andy saw her act and commanded her, "Stop that."

"Stop what?" She tried to act so innocent.

"You know exactly what." He grabbed her hips and pulled his closer. Andy dropped a kiss on her lips. She pulled away and savored it. Sam gave him a look. "What?"

She took a deep breath. "Remember that discussion we had a while back?"

"Yeah…" He didn't know where she was going with it.

"I think we should go through with it."

He was taken aback. "Really? Are you sure? There is no pressure, Mrs. Flynn." No one knew they were married. They, a judge, and a witness down at city hall were the only ones who knew. It was recent by a month.

"Yes, I'm one hundred percent sure." She smiled broadly.

A smile crept across his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Come here." The man pulled her close and started to kiss her neck. She was squirmish and giggling.

She gave him time to sit up. After he did, he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Flynn paraphrased by just saying they were married, and no one knew. He wasn't quite ready to talk about her in general or her death. Provenza understood. "I'm gonna head back to the office. Maybe we can finish this later?" Provenza was hopeful.

"Yeah." It felt nice to release what he had been holding in for so long. Provenza walked away. Andy stayed a little longer. He stared at the alcoholic beverages with less temptation than before. When he made sure for the final time that Provenza was gone, he reached down his shirt. When his hand came up, he was holding a gold band on a gold chain. Anyone who knew him, knew he always wore a gold chain. What they didn't know was what was on the end of it. He realized he was missing something else. He quickly searched his pants pocket and still couldn't find it. That was when Andy went into a panic mode.

This chapter was replaced recently with minor changes. Like the fact Louie is drinking white wine instead of beer. Little things like that.