Author's Note: As always, thank you so much for the reviews. I'm glad people seem to be enjoying the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue.

Andy worked the early shift on Fridays, which meant she had to be at work by six. While she hated waking up that early, she loved that the sun was still high and warm on her face as she walked home.

One of the reasons she had chosen her townhouse was that it was only about a mile from the station and on pretty days she didn't mind the walk. It was a good time to be alone and unwind from the day.

Sam was sitting on the stairs leading up to his house when she got home. His head was in his hands and he seemed to be rubbing the heels of his palms against his eyes. He didn't see her walk up so she debated saying anything, but in the end she leaned against the wall that separated their porches and called out to him, "Hi."

He looked up and his eyes were red from where he had been rubbing them. He blinked a couple of times, surprised to see her standing there, and then replied, "Hey."

It wasn't an overly friendly greeting but it wasn't accompanied with a smirk and it lacked the edge she had become accustomed to from him.

Andy smiled. "Work the early shift?" She asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

Sam just nodded. "Yep. You?"

She nodded with a weary sigh and then glanced around curiously. "What are you doing out here?"

He looked up at her and quirked an eyebrow. "Just sitting and waiting for you McNally," he told her, reverting to his usual sarcasm instead of giving her a straight answer.

"Well, I'm so flattered," Andy replied with a smirk, making Sam grin. As much as he truly enjoyed getting her flustered he was glad to know that she had a backbone and could stand up for herself from time to time.

It made her relationship with Callaghan all the more puzzling.

He was about to reply when a school bus pulled up. Sam stood to his feet and Andy watched as the bus' door swung open and a young girl with dark curls came flying out, her heavy bag bouncing on her back. The girl glared at Sam and then raced passed him with an exaggerated groan, heading up the steps and into the house.

Andy watched the girl until she disappeared and then turned back to Sam, an amused grin on her face.

Sam was looking at his front door but he quickly shifted his gaze back over to meet hers. With a sheepish grin he admitted, "I'm not supposed to wait outside for her." He rolled his eyes heavenward and then, in a high-pitched voice, said, "I'm just, like, soooo embarrassing."

Andy couldn't help but laugh at his teenaged-girl impression. "How old is she?"

"Twelve," Sam answered.

"Everything's embarrassing at the age, don't take it personally," she told him. "But hey, it's better to be embarrassed than dead." When his face fell slightly she rambled on, explaining, "That's just what my dad used to say when I'd get mad at him for being overprotective and embarrassing me."

"Sounds like something Tommy would say," Sam replied, chucking. "I told her that if I really wanted to embarrass her I would shuttle her to and from school in the police cruiser and walk her to each class in my uniform."

Andy laughed. "Oh yeah, I've heard that one before." She hesitated for a moment and then asked, "You know my dad?"

Sam nodded, "I worked with him for a little while before he went to homicide."

"Ah." Andy tilted her head towards his house. "Well, tell your daughter that if she ever needs to commiserate with someone about having a cop for a dad, I'm just next door and I totally understand."

"Oh no," Sam said, shaking his head, "Lindsey's not my daughter." Andy's brow furrowed. No one had mentioned Sam having a daughter but she had seen the girl around enough to figure out that she must live with him. Noticing her confused expression, Sam explained further. "She's my niece. Her mom is my sister," he paused and his eyebrows knit together. He looked to the ground and admitted, "She, uh, she passed away a couple of months ago, in July."

Sam wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to share the information with his neighbor while standing in the middle of the street. He ran a hand through his hair and then looked back up at her to gauge her reaction. His dark brown eyes met hers and her forehead wrinkled with what he knew to be genuine concern.

"So Lindsey lives with me now," he finished redundantly, searching for something to say to fill the awkward silence.

"Oh my goodness." Andy's heart sank in her chest, completely taken by surprise at the revelation. Her mouth hung open but no words came out. After a moment she finally spoke. "I'm so sorry."

Sam gave her a small half smile. He was never very good with condolences. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry, that was so inappropriate what I said earlier about being embarrassing…"

Sam interrupted her, waving a hand. "It's fine. You didn't know." There was another awkward pause and then he gestured up towards his house. "I should probably get inside."

"Yeah, of course," Andy said, nodding weakly.

With a final sharp nod, Sam turned and climbed the short staircase, leaving Andy standing alone on the sidewalk.

She watched him enter his house and then shook her head, stunned.

As she was stretched out on her sofa watching television with Luke later that night, she couldn't help but think back to Sam and their brief conversation earlier that day.

Well, she was watching television. Luke had buried his head in a file over an hour ago and hadn't looked up since.

"Hey Luke," she called, poking him with her foot to get his attention.

"Hmm?" was his distracted reply.

She grabbed the remote and turned the volume on the TV down. "Did you know that Sam's sister died a couple months ago?"

"Sam?" Luke asked, as if he didn't know who she was talking about.

Andy rolled her eyes. "Sam Swarek," she clarified. "My neighbor. Your colleague."

Luke looked up from his file. "I know who Sam Swarek is," he said, clearing his throat. "Trust me."

"So did you know about his sister?" Andy asked, ignoring his tone.

"I didn't even know the guy had a sister," Luke admitted. "We don't exactly chat by the water cooler." He thought for a moment and then told her, "It makes sense though."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam was undercover a couple months ago but before the operation finished he got pulled out," Luke told her. "Based on the intel we were getting he was only a couple of weeks away from making a huge arrest, so we were all surprised to see him get hauled into the station in one day." He shrugged. "Then he disappeared for a couple of weeks and came back in uniform."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "And you weren't at all curious about what happened?"

"Not really, no." Luke cut his eyes over to her. "How'd you find out?"

"He told me." Andy answered. "This afternoon."

"I didn't realize you guys were getting close."

Andy pursed her lips, annoyed at his tone. "We're not."

"The Sam Swarek I know wouldn't share that with just anyone," Luke told her, a hint of accusation in his voice.

Andy sighed and then explained, "His niece was getting home from school about the same time I got home from work. He was outside, I asked him about her and he told me."

"His niece?"

Andy nodded. "Lindsey, his sister's daughter. She lives with him now." She was still having a hard time getting over the fact that her gruff, rude neighbor had taken on the responsibility of raising his niece.

"Huh," Luke huffed, processing the information. "Did he say what happened?"

Andy shook her head. "No, we didn't get into any details. I guess we're not that close," she said pointedly.

Luke shot her a look and the closed the file he had been working on. With a lazy grin, he crawled up onto the sofa, covering her body with his own. "You don't need to get that close to Sam Swarek," he said playfully, nuzzling her neck.

Andy, still slightly annoyed with him, placed both of her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her enough to look up at him. "He is my neighbor," she told him. "I have to be… neighborly."

"No you don't. I don't even know my neighbors," Luke retorted, dipping back down to press his lips against hers.

Andy wanted to roll her eyes and tell him that was because he was never home, but she knew it would start a fight. Instead, she tangled her hands in his hair and tried respond to his kisses. His body was heavy against hers and instead of being comforting she found it constricting.

She wondered if he had always been such a sloppy kisser.

When his hand moved down her side and his fingers started to work the button on her jeans, she bucked her hips and pushed him away. Luke braced himself above her and then looked down, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Not tonight," Andy said.

"Why not?"

"I'm not feeling well." It wasn't a lie. Her head was pounding.

"Is this because of Swarek?" Luke asked densely.

She shoved him off of her and sat up, irritated that he would even consider the suggestion. "Not even a little bit."

Luke sat back on his heels and ran his hand through his hair. "Then what…?"

"I had an early morning Luke," she said, looking at her watch. "I've been up for over twenty hours."

"You're the one that invited me over," Luke reminded her.

"Well," Andy argued, "I didn't know you wouldn't get here until almost midnight. And you've been sitting there reading for an hour!"

Luke looked at her, working his jaw from side to side. "Fine." He gathered the files spread out on her coffee table and stood up. "I should probably go anyway. I need to go over this," he waved a file in the air, "before work in the morning."

"Are you serious?" Andy asked in disbelief. "You're leaving because I said we're not going to have sex?"

"I'm not leaving because we're not going to have sex," Luke said, slipping into his loafers. "I'm leaving because I have work I need to do."

Andy chewed the inside of her cheek. She wanted to argue but then she realized she didn't really care that much. If he left it meant that she could go to bed, alone. "Whatever," she replied, flopping down on the sofa and reaching for the remote.

Luke sighed and then bent down to kiss her cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised.

"Fine," she said, turning her head to meet his lips in a short, chaste kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Luke waited a moment to see if she was going to get up and walk him to the door, but when she turned the volume on the television up he heaved another sigh and picked up his briefcase. With a final look in her direction, he made his way out of her house.

Andy waited until he left and then turned the television off. As she stood and moved around the living room to turn the lamps out she marveled at the fact that out of all the men she had dealt with that day, Sam was the only one that hadn't been an asshole to her.

On Monday Andy dressed in her most professional clothing, a suit that she had bought just for the occasion, and met Boyd and the prosecutor at the courthouse. They went over her testimony once more and then she sat on a hard bench in the hallway, waiting to be called in.

They didn't get to her testimony until later that afternoon. She managed not to throw up on the stand and after the first couple of questions her voice didn't even shake.

All in all, it went well. At least, that's what the prosecutor told her when he talked to her afterwards.

Unsurprisingly, Boyd had a list of things she had done wrong, including the fact that he thought she had worn too much eye makeup and looked nervous on the stand.

"I was nervous, it was my first time," she reminded him.

"Well now that you've popped the proverbial cherry maybe you won't look like a scared virgin next time," he said.

Andy rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure some of the things he said to her bordered on sexual harassment, but she only had to make it through another couple of months with him.

Luke had asked her to meet him at the Penny to celebrate so after she finished up with Boyd she hailed a cab and headed over to the bar. When she got there she found that he had already arrived and was sitting at a table with Jo. Andy hadn't been expecting his partner to join them.

"There she is!" Luke exclaimed, standing up to greet her with a kiss. "How'd it go?"

She forced a smile. "Well I'm here so obviously Boyd didn't kill me," she said jokingly.

"I'm so proud of you," he gushed, pulling out her chair. She climbed up on the chair and scooted herself closer to the high table.

Jo Rosati grinned at Andy. "Congratulations, McNally."

"Thank you," Andy replied tightly. She appreciated Luke's enthusiasm but she couldn't help but feel like she was being made fun of; like because they did it so often, Luke and Jo found it amusing that she had been so nervous about having to testify.

"Are you done or are you going to be called back up?" Luke asked, taking his own seat.

"I think I'm done," she answered. She swept her arms out and continued, "Honestly, I'm just glad I made it through without throwing up all over the judge."

"Well its only your first trial," Jo said. "There's still plenty of time for that." She burst out laughing at her own joke. Andy didn't find it the slightest bit funny but she laughed along gamely.

Luke peppered her with questions about the trial and her testimony and she answered as best she could; really it had just been a standard, by-the-book arrest, so there wasn't much to tell. Eventually the topic shifted to a similar case that Luke and Jo had worked several years before and Andy excused herself to get another drink.

She waited for the bartender to come and take her order, rhythmically tapping her fingers against the counter.

Across the bar she could see Sam sitting with Oliver and Noelle. Oliver must have said something funny because Sam grinned widely and chuckled, shaking his head. He reached over to scratch his shoulder, still grinning, and Andy couldn't help but notice the way his cheeks dimpled in and how his eyes crinkled around the edges. Instead of making him look older it gave his face almost a boyish quality.

Sam caught her looking at him and the grin turned into a smirk in her direction. She smiled back at him and her eyes widened when she saw him excuse himself from his table and make his way over to her.

"Tired of playing the third wheel?" He asked as he sat down on the stool next to her.

Andy turned to face him, "What are you talking about?"

"They look cozy," he said, nodding over to the table she had left. Luke and Jo had turned their chairs so they faced each other and were deep in conversation about something. To any casual observer they would look like a couple unwinding over drinks and discussing their day.

Andy took the scene in and swallowed hard, trying not to let her discomfort read on her face. "They're partners," she said, brushing it off. "Of course they're close."

Sam raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying her seeming indifference to the situation, but let it drop. "What's the get-up for?" He asked.

For the second time in less than a minute she asked, "What are you talking about?"

He pointed at her and waved his finger up and down. "You look like you're getting ready to adjust my insurance," Sam said, grinning.

Andy clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth, pretending to be insulted. "I'll have you know that this is my court suit," she replied, stepping back to modeling it for him.

"Very nice," Sam said, dipping his head slightly. "You had court today?"

Andy nodded and the sat down beside him. "First time."

"How'd it go?" He asked and she was surprised that he seemed genuinely interested.

"I think it went well," she said, shrugging. "My training officer might disagree but the prosecutor seemed pleased." She gestured over to her table, "We're supposed to be celebrating."

"Well then," he said, pulling a couple bills out of his wallet, "Let me buy your drink."

"Oh, no," she said, waving her hand in the air. "That's okay."

He grinned at her and, dear god, his dimples were even better close up. "I insist."

Andy tried to ignore the sudden swarm of butterflies in her stomach and fought the smile that threatened to break, refusing to find her neighbor charming. "Well only if you insist," she heard herself say, and she mentally kicked herself for the flirtatious way in which it came out.

"What'll you have?" He asked, getting the female bartender's attention.

"Vodka cranberry," she answered, gaping as the bartender immediately came over and took Sam's order. She had been waiting for five minutes and hadn't even been acknowledged.

"You sure get good service around here," Andy said after her drink was set in front of her.

Sam shrugged, "Well, I've been coming here for a while."

"Oh yeah," Andy humored him, nodding as she took a sip of her drink, "I'm sure that's it." It had nothing to go with the way the bartender practically melted under his warm gaze.

"What?" Sam asked obliviously.

Andy shook her head, laughing. "Nothing." She paused and then asked, "You're not drinking?"

"Nah. I had one earlier," he explained, "But now that I've got Lindsey at home…" he tilted his head from side to side. "You know."

"Right," Andy said. "Of course. How's she doing?"

"She's fine," Sam answered noncommittally, glancing around. He squinted his eyes and told her, "The first couple of weeks of school were rough for her so she has tutoring a couple of days a week to try and catch up."

Andy nodded, "Well, that's certainly understandable. I can't imagine..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

Sam chewed on his bottom lip and then replied, "Yeah, well. We're dealing with it." Andy could tell he didn't really want to talk about his niece and she didn't blame him for being guarded. She took the hint and changed the topic, asking him how riding with Epstein was going.

Sam chuckled and ran his hand over his face, "Everyday's an adventure, that's for sure," he replied diplomatically. "He's a good kid though, I like him."

"He always has good things to say about you," she told him. "I think you made his entire year when you let him drive the other day." Andy took another sip of her drink and looked behind him, over to Luke and Jo. She watched them for a long moment and realized they didn't even seem to notice her absence. With a long gulp she finished her drink off and set the empty glass down on the bar, feeling slightly lightheaded.

Sam noticed that Andy had gotten distracted and followed her gaze back to her table. When she slammed her glass down on the bar he asked, "You want to get out of here?"

She looked at him suspiciously. Buying her a drink was one thing but coming on to her, right in front of her boyfriend? That was entirely different. "Excuse me?"

"Not like that," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "Trust me sweetheart, you're not my type."

"And what's my type that you find so objectionable?"

Sam glanced behind him once again. "The type of women who date jackasses," he replied bluntly.

She sucked in a sharp breath and her eyes hardened. "Luke is not a jackass," she defended weakly and unconvincingly. "He's a good guy."

Sam shrugged. "Well," he said. "Insurance adjusters aren't my thing either, so you're just out of luck."

She eyed him warily and he found himself smiling, hoping she would accept the gesture as an apology for his earlier remark.

A wave of unexpected relief washed through him when she finally smiled back. "Oh," she said, arching an eyebrow, "And what makes you think you're my type?"

"Please," Sam deadpanned with a straight face. "I'm everybody's type." He winked at her and leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "Just ask the bartender."

Andy narrowed her eyes and slapped the back of her hand against his chest. "I knew it," she said, laughing. "Working those dimples to get better service," she chided, "You should be ashamed of yourself."

He grinned widely, thoroughly unashamed, and sat back in his chair. With a nod towards the bar door he told her, "No, but seriously, Lindsey's going to be home soon so I have to go. You want a ride?"

She was shaking her head to decline when a loud burst of laughter cut through the bar. Andy looked over to find Jo's head thrown back, her hand clutching at her chest, and Luke beaming at his partner, oblivious to the other patrons in the bar.

When she looked back at Sam he simply raised an eyebrow knowingly. She opened her mouth to say something but then the crease between her eyebrows deepened and she closed it without a word.

Sam stood up and pulled his keys out of his back pocket. "I'll wait for you outside," he said firmly. "Gray truck."

"I know," Andy said without protest. She stood to her feet and their shoulders brushed as she moved around him. "I just need to grab my stuff."

Sam just nodded and then slipped out of the bar.