Hi Everyone! I'm both excited and nervous for the next season. I do intend to watch though. I hope everyone decides to as well. If viewer numbers are not high during the first three episodes the show won't get renewed. The two main stars have both tweeted that Sam and Andy fans will be very happy. It will look like things are going one way but everything will change very quickly so stick with the show. I'm putting my trust in them. Here is the next chapter to my story. Enjoy!
Two weeks later.
People often say a surprise comes only on a 'special' occasion, but in reality most people receive a surprise every single day of their life. It can be as simple as walking into your home, after a long day at work, to the delicious smell of your favourite meal to receiving a promotion you were not expecting, to winning a national lottery. Whatever it is the two things about a true surprise is that it arrives completely unannounced and it brings with it joy. It may take a moment for joy to sink in, but when it does it is wonderful.
"Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!"
Nick glanced over at his partner a moment as he drove their squad car through the streets of Toronto.
"Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!"
"Okay...9:30 in the morning and we have already gone through an apple, some fresh strawberries and now we are working our way through a small tub of baby carrots. Not to mention..."
"Nick! We're coming up to the station. Can you pull into the lot and park? I need to use the washroom."
"What! Andy, I just stopped at a 'Tim Horton's a half hour ago for you to use the washroom."
"Well...I need to use it again. Can you stop? PLLLLEEEEAASSSSS!" Andy said in a little whiny voice as she batted her big doe eye lashes.
Nick glanced over at his partner a moment.
"Okay, I'll stop." Nick sighed.
"Thank-you!" She replied with an I-got-what-I-wanted brilliant smile on her face.
Nick turned into the parking lot of the 15th and pulled into a spot.
"I'll wait here while you use the washroom."
"Okay! I'll be fast."
Nick watched his partner as she crossed the parking lot and entered the station.
"What is going on with her?" He thought as he reached over and picked up Andy's lunch bag from the floor in front of the passenger seat of their cruiser.
"What have we got in here? More strawberries, an orange, a sandwich, a bottle of water, a salad, a yogurt and three granola bars. What is she trying to feed? An army platoon? At least it's all healthy and low cal." He thought as he placed the lunch bag back.
"Something is going on...I'll figure it out."
"Feeling better partner?" Nick asked as Andy slipped back into the squad car.
"Yes, thank-you for stopping."
"No problem."
"Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!"
"Right back to the carrots. Something is up and I'll figure it out."
One day later.
It was just after two in the afternoon and already they had arrested a drunk driver, responded to a domestic violence call, a bar fight and a car crash scene and helped investigate a variety store hold-up.
"When it rains it pours." Nick said as he and his partner climbed into their squad car.
"It makes the day go by faster." Andy replied with a yawn.
"True..."
"All available units. Possible break and enter..."
"Hear we go again." Nick said as he flipped on the squad car's lights and sirens.
An hour later he and Andy climbed back into their squad car.
"I'm so glad Shaw and Diaz were the first ones on the scene and not us. They get the arrest which means they get to deal with the paper work. We have enough paper work to take care of already today when we get back to the station." Nick stated.
"We can probably go back soon and get started on it if you want." Andy replied as she reached for her bag and pulled out a granola bar.
Nick sat in the driver's seat of their cruiser and laid his head back on the head rest a moment.
"Why don't we take a coffee break first? What about that 'Second Cup' on Harbord St. near Spadina Ave.? It's close."
"Actually, that sounds like a great plan. Can we go in and sit down for a few minutes? My feet feel sore."
Nick glanced over at his partner as he turned the key in the ignition.
"Yea! We can go in and sit."
Twenty minutes later Nick pulled into a parking spot along Harbord St.
"Okay partner..."
Nick looked over at Andy and smiled. A moment later he gently shook her shoulder.
"Andy! Andy!" He said quietly.
"Come on Andy! Wake-up! We're here!"
"Hmmmm...what..."
"We're here. That's it Andy! Come on wake up."
"WHAT! Oh my gosh. I fell asleep?" Andy sputtered still half dazed.
Nick smiled in amusement.
"Andy it's fine. I'm not going to say anything to anyone. It's one of our little secrets."
She looked over at Nick horrified. "I am so sorry."
"Andy it's fine. I'm not upset. It was only for a few moments. Come on! Let's go in and get a couple of coffees. That'll wake you up."
Andy stared out the front window of the cruiser a moment, rubbed her eyes with her hands and turned to Nick and nodded.
Five minutes later they were sitting in a couple of easy chairs near the front of the coffee-house.
"So...Swarek keep you up late last night playing doctor and nurse?" Nick asked with a mischievous grin and a sparkle in his eyes.
Andy nearly choked on her sip of coffee.
"NO! I mean...NO...I went...I went to bed at 9:30 last night."
"She is actually starting to blush. I've only seen her blush one other time. There is definitely something going on."
"I went to the gym this morning and worked out and the shift has been really busy plus the dampness in the air it...it gives me a chill."
"Andy!"
"I think..."
"Andy!"
"Yes!"
"Calm down please. It's one of our little secrets. We have quite a collection of them."
Andy smiled softly and nodded her head.
"I'm not going to tell anyone, okay! I've never told a single one of our secrets to anyone and I'm not planning to start now."
Andy nodded.
"What's going on with you?"
"Nothing, I think I'm coming down with something. I'll be fine in a couple of days."
Nick studied her a moment before nodding his head. "Okay! Tell Swarek to take good care of you and call me tomorrow if you need to take the day off to rest and get better."
"I will...thank-you."
"Something is definitely up. She is chit chatty, smiling and joking and all her excuses are plausible but still there is something that's just not...right. She is hiding something. If she doesn't talk to me in the next couple of days I'm going to figure out a way to get her over to Frenchman's Bay. That place is like a therapist's office for us."
The next morning.
Nick backed into a parking spot and parked his vehicle at the station. He reached behind the front passenger seat and grabbed his bag. Just as he was about to open his door and exit he spotted Andy walking across the parking lot with Sam. As he sat and watched his partner a moment everything suddenly made perfect sense.
"I know what is going on with you partner and you are so going to talk to me today or I am figuring out a way to get you to Frenchman's Bay."
With a grin on his face he exited his car and headed into the station.
Four hours later the partners were walking down the hall of the station, after just dropping off a shoplifter in booking, when they heard Frank yell.
"Collins! McNally! My office now!"
The two officers glanced at each other before heading towards their staff sergeant's office.
"Is something wrong sir?" Nick questioned.
"The Durham Regional Police located and arrested Connor Brewing this morning."
"Is he the guy Nash is looking for in connection with that string of home invasion cases?" Andy questioned.
"Yes! I need two officers to drive over to Durham Regional's Central East Division station in Oshawa and bring him back here for questioning and processing. McNally you have done a prisoner transfer in the past. Why don't you take this opportunity to train Collins in the procedure? Here is the address of the station, the name of the contact officer and the transfer paperwork."
"Have the two of you taken a lunch break yet?"
"No sir!" Andy replied.
"Go for lunch. It's 11:45 now. I'll call the station in Oshawa and let them know you will be there around 2:30 this afternoon. That will give you plenty of time for lunch and travel."
"I know how I am getting her to Frenchman's Bay today. We need to drive right by it on our way to Oshawa." Nick thought with a small grin on his face.
"Want to go for roast beef sandwiches at that deli we like for lunch? Nick asked.
"Yea! Sure!"
"Meet you in five by the squad car partner." Nick said as Andy headed into the women's locker room to use the washroom once again.
Just under an hour later the two partners were sitting on their favourite bench at Frenchman's Bay over looking the cerulean blue water of Lake Ontario and munching sandwiches.
"It's nice down here today." Andy stated.
"Well the sun is shining today and it's unusually warm for this time of year."
"The cold and dampness yesterday was terrible."
Nick glanced over at his partner a moment as she popped the last of her sandwich into her mouth.
"Time to get her to talk." he thought with a smile on his face.
"A penny for your thoughts."
"Pardon?"
"You going to tell me what's been going on with you?" Nick said with a huge smile on his face.
"No...thinG...No! You don't know? How did you...HOW?"
"Andy you are eating like crazy, I have to stop every hour for you to use the washroom, yesterday you fell asleep while on shift and this morning when we reunited that little boy who wandered away from his mother in the park you started to cry. Plus...Andy I'm a guy okay...today when I saw you walking across the parking lot with Swarek...I noticed...you were wearing a tight...your boobs are bigger okay."
Andy looked at him horrified. He could almost smell the gears in her head cranking in maximum drive.
Nick smiled broadly at his partner. "You're pregnant Andy."
Tears began to form in Andy's eyes.
"How did you figure everything out so fast. I just did a pregnancy test last night. I'm two weeks late. It was positive."
"We know each other very well. Have you told Sam?"
Andy shook her head. "I...it's not that...I want to tell him...it's just...I didn't plan for this to happen and...I don't want..."
Nick put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him as tears started to stream down her cheeks and she began to sob.
"Hey! Calm down...it will be alright. Everything will work out." he said as Andy wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed.
Minutes passed before Nick was able to calm his partner down enough for them to continue their talk.
"I'm sorry." Andy whispered as she removed her arms from around Nick's neck.
Nick watched his partner a moment before removing his arm from around her shoulders and reaching for her hand and entwining their fingers.
"Andy...I see the way Sam looks at you. He is not going to get upset when you tell him about the baby."
"It's not that I'm...I don't want him to..." Andy whispered as she shook her head and wiped a stray tear away from her cheek.
It suddenly hit Nick what was going on in Andy's head.
"You don't want Sam to ask you to marry him because you are pregnant."
"I want him to ask me to marry him because he wants me as his wife. I don't want to enter a marriage wondering if..."
"Wondering if Sam would have asked you to become his wife if you were not pregnant."
Andy nodded her head.
Nick smiled broadly at his partner.
"Have you seen your doctor yet or did you just do a home pregnancy test?" Nick asked.
"I picked up a home pregnancy kit at the pharmacy on my way home from work yesterday. Sam worked last night. I did it when I got home."
"Have you phoned your doctor's office for an appointment to confirm the results?"
Andy shook her head.
"Well this is Thursday. Why don't you call today and ask for an appointment for one day next week? Get the pregnancy confirmed first. That will give us a couple of days to think and figure out how to approach this whole situation with Sam. Okay!"
Andy nodded her head.
"It's going to all work out partner. Sam loves you. I see the way he looks at you when you are together. Don't worry!"
Flashback: Monday four days earlier.
Sam quietly entered viewing room one.
"Swarek!"
"Collins!"
"How are they doing with this guy?"
"I think McNally and Nash just about have him convinced to talk."
"Collins...I need to talk...I need to ask you...I need your help." Sam said nervously.
"Um...okay. What do you need?"
Sam reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small navy blue velvet jewellery box.
"I bought this for...it's for Andy." He said as he opened the box revealing a diamond engagement ring.
"Hey! Congratulations! She will be thrilled."
"I have reservations at 'The School' restaurant for 7:00 Friday night."
"Are you going to propose at the restaurant?"
"No...afterwards at my place."
"I need your help with something. I can't ask Nash or Shaw because I don't trust them to keep their mouths shut around Andy. I want to surprise her."
"Okay! How can I help?"
End Flashback.
Nick smiled at Andy.
"Sweetheart, it will all be fine tomorrow night when Sam places that diamond ring on your finger." Nick thought.
"Why don't I buy us a couple of ice-cream cones? We can sit outside the cakery place and eat them before heading out to Oshawa and doing that prisoner exchange."
"I don't know if I feel like an ice-cream cone."
"Andy! It's ice-cream! It will help make everything better. I promise."
Andy give Nick a small smile and nodded her head.
"Come on then!"
"Nick!" Andy said as they began to walk towards the ice-cream shop.
"Yea!"
"Our lives usually parallel."
"Yea they tend to do that at times."
"Is Gayle...is their any sign that she may..."
Nick smiled. "I'm not worried. She seems her usual self."
Andy nodded.
"We are paralleling. You just don't know how at the moment. I promise you will be the first one to know after Gail's parents."
Flashback: Saturday evening one week earlier.
Nick pulled into a parking spot beside the high school both he and Gayle attended as teenagers. It was early evening but the sun was already settling sending most of the neighbourhood inside their homes. He walked Gayle to the back of the school got down on one knee, reached into his pocket, took out a small green velvet box, opened it to reveal a diamond engagement ring and proposed. He chose the spot because it was where they shared their first kiss all those years ago. A very shocked and teary eyed Gayle graciously accepted the ring and agreed to marry him. She asked Nick to keep their engagement a secret until her parents returned from their vacation. Gayle wanted them to hear the news first.
End Flashback.
The next day: Friday
"Hey Andy!"
"Hey Traci! How was your shift?" Andy said as she opened her locker door.
"Good thanks! Swarek says he is taking you out for dinner tonight."
"Yea! I have to get into the shower and get changed into my dress."
"Which dress?"
"The strap-less form-fitting one with the frosty mint green top and black bottom. It comes just above my knees."
"Have fun! We'll talk sometime over the week-end." Traci said as she packed her bag and headed out the door of the women's locker room.
Two and a half hours later she and Sam sat at a table in the dining room of 'The School' restaurant. The atmosphere was quiet, relaxing and romantic, the food was divine and the company exceptional. It was the first time in a few days Andy felt relaxed.
"Maybe Nick is right. Everything will work out fine." She thought.
Two hours later Sam paid the bill and he and Andy quietly left the restaurant.
Twenty five minutes later Sam pulled into the driveway of his house and parked. He exited the truck, walked around the front and opened Andy's door. A few moments later he opened the front door of his house and lead Andy inside by the hand. Andy stood perfectly still and wide-eyed. Strewn all through the front hallway and the main floor were hundreds of red rose petals. Lit candles were sitting everywhere giving off a beautiful warm glow throughout the downstairs. Sam lead a teary eyed Andy to the middle of the living-room, got down on one knee, pulled out the blue velvet jewellery box from his pocket, opened it and proposed. Andy accepted his proposal as tears streamed down her cheeks and Sam placed the ring on her finger. After a long embrace and a few kisses Sam went over to the pedestal style ice bucket, near the fire-place, to open and pour them each a glass of champagne. That is when he noticed there were two bottles. The bottle of champagne he bought and a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine Nick bought and placed in the bucket.
He looked quizzically at the bottle a moment before putting two and two together. The constant hunger, the running to the washroom every time he turned around, the teary eyes, the huge breasts and the falling asleep on the couch before 9:00 every night suddenly all made sense. A huge smile spread across his face as Andy walked up beside him.
Flashback: 30 minutes earlier.
Nick received a text from Sam telling him they were leaving the restaurant. He texted back everything was ready to go all he needed to do was light the candles. Something he started to do 20 minutes later. Ten minutes later he heard Sam's truck pull into the driveway. Nick left the spare house key in the top drawer, of the kitchen, and slipped out the back door. He hid in the dark shadows of the side of the house and watched as Sam and Andy entered through the front door. A few moments later he slipped away down the street and jumped into his car. He would hear all about everything soon enough from Andy.
End Flashback.
An hour later Nick sat at a table in the front window of his favourite Bistro along Queen Street East in The Beach area of the city sipping a glass of chardonnay and waiting for his new fiancé to arrive. It was later and the Bistro was quiet. The dinner rush done for the evening. He smiled as he opened and read a text from Andy. He replied back with congratulations and a promise to phone her tomorrow.
"Thank God our lives are not completely paralleling this time partner. We're both engaged now but only one of us is pregnant."
Nick looked up as he heard the front door of the Bistro open and smiled as he stood up to welcome his fiancé.
"Do you want a glass of wine?" Nick asked as the waiter approached.
"Actually, I think I would like a glass of ginger ale please."
"Really! Is your stomach upset?"
"No...um...ginger ale please." Gayle said to the waiter.
"I'll be right back." He said as he turned and walked away.
"You don't usually drink ginger ale."
"Nick...I...I have to...I have to tell you something. I...I...I made...I made a doctor's appointment for...next week."
"Oh crap! McNally!" Nick thought as a huge smile spread across his face.
What did you think? I would love to know your thoughts.