Hi Everyone! This chapter is inspired by the last scene between Andy and Nick in Season 3 Episode 12 titled "Every Man". I found this chapter difficult to structure. As a result it is very long leading me to decide to post it in two parts. I'm not sure I am happy with this chapter. Let me know what you think. Thank-you for reading. I'll post the second part shortly.
Everyone experiences emotional events that haunt them forever. The memories are etched into the core of their soul. She is well aware of how memories will haunt you for years and how they can affect you daily, weekly, occasionally or once a year. The fallout of her parent's divorce continues, to this day, to affect all aspects of her life. It is why she struggles with forming a trusting and hopefully lasting relationship with her boyfriend. She knows it is why she can sometimes perceive, understand and get through to some witnesses and suspects better than other officers. It is definitely the reason one day a year, she gets up and heads to the gym to work out until she thinks her arms and legs are going to drop off and then drinks until she feels totally numb.
Her friends all struggle with the memories of events from their past. Dov deals with his brother's suicide on a regular basis. Diaz has issues springing from his mother's mental disease. Gail consistently struggles for acceptance from her parents. Traci is still trying to overcome issues surrounding her teen-age pregnancy and more recently Jerry's death. Sam will probably struggle with his sister's attack, his father's incarceration, his childhood spent in foster care and Jerry's passing for years to come. The point is everyone experiences devastating emotional events in their lifetime with most finding ways to deal with the memories. Whether in a positive or a negative way they will find ways to cope.
"But SAMMMM!" She whined as she threw her arms around his neck and gave him her best pouty look.
"Why do you have to go to Ottawa for the next three days? Why do you have to leave this morning? Why not this afternoon? We could have lunch together."
"Princess we have been through this already. The trial relocated to Ottawa. The courts felt that the suspect could not receive a fair trial in Toronto. The case was too well publicized here and there was no way an unbiased jury could be selected in Toronto. Ottawa is a four-hour drive. Peck and I have to meet with the prosecuting lawyer this afternoon to go over our testimonies. I don't leave now I will not have enough time to pick up Peck and make it to Ottawa in time for the meeting." He replied as he stood inside her condo's foyer caressing her body up and down.
"But SAMMMM! I have to work today, but then I have two days off. Why can't I come to Ottawa and meet you? I could take the train. Gail gets to go."
"Peck has to go because she was the arresting officer. I have to go because I was the lead detective. You can come but I'll be stuck in a courthouse most of the time. This isn't a fun vacation, starting with the drive this morning. Believe me; I'm not looking forward to being stuck in my truck for four hours with Peck."
"Ohhh...what am I suppose to do on my days off if I don't come to see you in Ottawa?" Andy whined while displaying her best pouty face.
"Call your mom and meet her for lunch one afternoon. Call your dad and take him out for breakfast the next day. Go out with your friends for a couple of drinks one evening. I'll be back as soon as I can and I promise I will make it up to you. Just for the record...I do know what you are doing here." He said while giving her a full dimpled smile and motioning between the two of them with his finger.
"Ohhh...what is that?" She replied innocently.
"McNally...between the little whiny voice you have going, the pouty face, the bed head sexy messy hair and that outfit I know." He replied smiling while drawing her body close.
"What's wrong with my outfit?" She asked with a mischievous smile and a glint in her eye.
"Absolutely nothing. I just know that it is all part of your little plan to keep me here longer, to make me feel guilty about leaving and to make sure I know what is waiting for me back home while I'm away." He answered as he dipped his head and kissed her passionately.
"She is not making leaving easy. How can she still have most of her summer tan? It's November. She's standing in front of me in bare feet with her silky smooth bare legs, wearing those perfectly fitting little white and black lacy silk bikini panties, that skimpy little white tank top that leaves nothing to the imagination and shows off that ridiculously toned mid drift of hers and she doesn't think I won't figure out what she is doing. Problem is it is working. Focus Sam. Stop kissing the pretty, sexy brunette and leave for Ottawa."
"Busted! Although my plan did work I mean he should have left 15 minutes ago and I know he definitely won't forget this good-bye."
"Okay Princess. I have my laptop and I am all set up to use Skype. I'll call you tonight on your net book around ten."
"I'll be here." She said mischievously before kissing him one more time.
"Okay! Gotta leave. Peck will be calling and you need to get ready for work or you will be late. I'll see you in three days." He said as he picked up his bag and opened the condo's front door.
"Bye! Love you!"
"I love you too Sam." She said smiling.
Twenty hours later...
Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz
Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz
"Hmmm...What is that buzzing? Sam wake...oh right...he's in Ottawa." Andy muttered as she checked the time on her alarm clock.
Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz
"What is that? It's 3:00 a.m."
Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz...Bzzzzzz
"Who's ringing my entrance buzzer? It's the middle of the night." Andy asked Sheena as she and the dog slowly got up out of their beds and went to answer the condo's intercom.
"Hello!" She managed to say sleepily.
"Hi! McNally?"
"Yea...who is this?"
"It's Liam. You know...the bartender from "The Penny". I'm really sorry to bother you, but I have Collins and he insisted I bring him here."
"Nick! What?"
"Can you buzz us up and I'll explain everything?"
"Um...yea sure..."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Andy peeked through her front door's spy-hole to see Liam trying to hold Nick upright.
She slowly unlocked her front door and opened it just enough for Sheena and her to poke their heads out.
"Hi Liam!" She said sleepily.
"Hey Mc...Nallllllyyyy!" Nick slurred. "Cannn my friendddd and I come innnn."
"Sheena! Shhhh..." Andy instructed the growling dog.
"Sorry Andy but it was past closing time and he wouldn't give me or the cab driver his address. He kept insisting we bring him here. He wouldn't get into the cab unless the driver agreed to bring him here. I couldn't get a hold of his wallet to find out his address. I couldn't get your phone number out of him and he wouldn't let me see his cell phone. I couldn't let him drive, I couldn't leave him all night at the bar and I didn't feel comfortable sending him in a cab over here unannounced. I finally drove him over here myself in his car." Liam said as he propped Nick up against Andy's door frame and held him in place.
"Ummm...yea...can you help me get him over to my sofa?"
"Sure, no problem." Liam said as he swung Nick's arm around his neck, placed his other arm around Nick's waist and walked him over to Andy's sofa.
"Mc...Nalllyyy! Do you havvve annnyyyth...hey thisss sofaaa is commmfffyyy." Nick slurred as Liam and Andy plopped him down on her sofa and removed his jacket.
"Yea I know. Why don't we just lay you down on it and you can experience just how comfy my sofa feels?"
"Oh...okaaayyyy then. Dooo you havvvee...annnyyything to drriinnkk?" Nick slurred as Andy and Liam pushed him down into a laying position.
"Here are his car keys. I parked it in the overnight visitor parking section at the back of the building. Will you be alright alone with him or do you want me to stay a few minutes?"
"Um...actually I think I will be fine. I think he is out for the rest of the night." Andy replied as Nick began to snore.
"Can I call you a cab?"
"No, I have my cell phone. I'll call one from your front lobby and wait there for it to arrive."
"I'm really sorry about all of this Andy."
"Don't worry about it Liam. I'm sorry you had to deal with him."
"Goodnight Andy and best of luck in the morning with him." Liam said as he walked out Andy's front door.
"Goodnight Liam and thank-you." She replied just before she closed her door and turned the locks.
"Okay let's um...let's take his shoes off and get him a blanket." Andy said to Sheena who was sitting on the floor beside the sofa giving Nick the evil eye.
"Shhhh Sheena! NO GROWLING!" Andy scolded quietly as she covered Nick with a blanket.
"Okay, he's sorted so lets you and I go back to bed." Andy instructed as she led Sheena over to the bedroom.
After closing the bedroom door and managing to get Sheena back into her basket, Andy crawled into her bed.
"I knew there was something going on with him. I could tell yesterday when we were on shift. I'll figure it out in the morning." Andy thought as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.
Flashback 15 hours earlier...
"Where do you want to stop for lunch today?" Andy asked as she and Nick patrolled the streets of Toronto.
"Hmmm...What?"
"Where do you want to stop for lunch? Are you okay Nick?"
"Um...yea...Tim Horton's is fine."
"Tim Horton's it is then. I'll keep my eye open for one."
"Yea...okay."
"What is going on with him? On a call he seems completely focused and aware of his surroundings but as soon as we are back in the squad car he is somewhere else. No, no, no...don't tell me he and Gail fought before she went to Ottawa. Oh that is so not good for Sam. A four-hour drive in his truck with Gail in a mood. Nick...you are going to talk to me partner."
"A penny for your thoughts."
"Hmmm...What?"
"A penny for your thoughts." Andy repeated while looking over at her partner in the passenger seat.
"I'm fine...I didn't sleep great last night...you going to "The Penny" after work tonight?"
"He's changing the subject. Something is definitely up. I'll figure it out."
"No, Traci and I are going shopping. I really don't feel like going to "The Penny" without Sam."
"Okkkaayyy then...shopping isn't fun. It doesn't help. Drinking is a better solution."
"Yep, something is definitely up. I'll figure it out."
End flashback
Andy woke at 7:00 a.m. to Sheena sitting facing the bedroom door and making low growling noises.
"Shhhh Sheena! Quiet! It's only Nick! Go sit in your basket. Mommy will get up in a minute, have her shower and take you out for a quick walk." Andy said while snapping her fingers and pointing to Sheena's basket.
Sheena stared at her "mommy" a moment before reluctantly strolling over to her basket to lie down.
After a quick shower and dressing Andy quietly opened the bedroom door for her and Sheena to slip out to the kitchen to set-up the coffee maker.
"Okay Sheena while the coffee perks we'll go for a quick walk. Come on!" Andy whispered as she headed towards the front door.
A half hour later Andy sat on an easy chair in the living room sipping her morning coffee, deep in thought while watching Nick sleep. Sheena lay on the floor beside her eyeing their house guest suspiciously.
It was an hour later when she picked up the morning paper, lying on the coffee table that the source of Nick's actions suddenly hit.
"That's it...today's the day." She thought as she noticed the date on the top of the paper.
"Partner, you really need to talk this through and make peace with yourself. Today is the day we sort you out together."
Three and a half hours later (11:30 a.m.)
Andy was sweeping her kitchen floor when she heard low growling noises coming from Sheena in the living-room.
"Shhh...SHEENA!" Andy commanded softly as she walked over to the dog sitting beside the sofa and staring directly at their houseguest.
"It's only Nick!"
"McNally? Why...are you at my place?" Nick questioned sleepily as he rubbed his hand over his forehead and eyes.
Andy didn't bother to reply. Instead she sat in her easy chair and concentrated on keeping Sheena quiet.
"He is still half out of it. Hopefully he'll remember or at least figure a couple of things out when he is fully awake."
Twenty minutes later Nick slowly sat up on the sofa and scanned his surroundings with squinting eyes.
"It's bright in here. This isn't my place."
Andy just smiled and shook her head "no".
Nick glanced around confused for a minute.
"Were you at the bar last night? I don't remember you at the bar last night."
Andy smiled and shook her head "no" as she stood up and walked over to her kitchen to pour Nick a large glass of water and remove a couple of tablets from her bottle of Advil.
"Here you go partner. Take these and drink all the water. Then lay your head on the back of the sofa and close your eyes. You'll start to feel better in about twenty minutes. We'll go from there."
"We are sorting this issue out because I am so not doing this with you every year."
Forty-five minutes later a slightly less confused and better feeling Nick was sent into Andy's bathroom, with his police bag which Andy and Sheena had retrieved from the back of his car during their morning walk, to have a shower and to change his clothes.
A clean Nick eventually emerged, strolled over to one of Andy's kitchen bar stools and gratefully accepted the cup of hot coffee she offered him from the fresh pot she perked while he was in the shower.
"Feeling better?"
"Yea...how did I get here last night?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"Bits and pieces...my memories' a bit fuzzy. I remember being at "The Penny". I remember none of the other rookies were there so I sat at the bar by myself. I think there was a cab driver."
"Apparently you weren't very co-operative at closing time. You wouldn't tell Liam or the cab driver he called where you live. You would only give them my address and insisted you were coming over here. Liam finally drove you over here in your car."
"Oh...um...did we wake you up."
"Hmm hmm"
"Sorry...did I say anything embarrassing?"
"Nooo...um...no, don't remember you saying anything embarrassing."
"I'll make this up to you. I promise Andy."
"Ohhhh you are making it up to me. Are you hungry?"
"Actually I am. It's kind of strange. I'm usually not hungry the day after...we'll you know."
"Good! You can start making things up to me by buying me lunch today. Finish your coffee partner and then come on. We are going out for a while. I'm driving."