Happy Station 19 Day, Friend!

Thought this would be a quick drabble… the Muse had other ideas. Can't believe there are just two eps left and Surrera isn't together and Andy isn't Captain yet. WTF?! Anyway, enjoy! – Ash

"Lieutenant Sullivan," Chief Dearborn said with a smile as she approached. "Or should I say, Chief Sullivan?"

Robert smiled back and extended a hand. "It's good to see you again, Ma'am."

"Has the announcement been made to your team yet?" She inquired.

"Next shift," Robert said, just as he caught Andy's facial expression partially in view. He could tell just by the look of her that she'd overheard their exchange.

"Very well. Let me know if you need anything during the transition." Dearborn added. "You've got my number."

"Will do. See you in a few weeks," Robert replied.

As soon as was respectful he turned his attention to scan the crowd. The Firefighter Gala was in full swing and most were milling about, making small talk, but now he was focused on one thing. Andy's voice from behind ended his search.

"You're leaving?" She asked with a tight yet wobbly voice.

When Robert turned to find Andy's eyes, he saw an expression that was some blend of sadness and confusion.

"I wanted to tell you before..." He hadn't wanted her to find out this way and remorse unfolded on his face.

Interrupting. "After your locker was cleared out and your apartment packed up?" Andy spat out in a hushed whisper. She knew it was an overreaction, but she was tired of being on her best behavior.

She'd spent months being the calm in everyone else's storm and the past few weeks had pushed her to her edge. It was a sobering reality to take care of everyone and realize no one was taking care of you. Yes 19 was family, but everyone seemed to have pockets of closeness she didn't share with anyone.

She was everywhere and nowhere at the same time and the last time she remembered feeling that sense of home with a person was… something too painful to admit.

Robert's forehead scrunched. He expected Andy to be disappointed that he was leaving, maybe miss him, but happy he was getting a chance to advance his career. She'd been supporting him this past year. Her attitude didn't reflect the current nature of their relationship and he didn't know what to do with it.

Taken aback by her response, Robert replied genuinely, "It was just confirmed, Andy."

"Whatever. Enjoy Spokane," She said with a roll of the eyes and walked away.

Robert fumed as he watched Andy swipe a glass of champagne from a nearby server and head towards a high top table. The more he processed her response, the more agitated he grew.

He'd had it.

Her digs and attitude. Her hot and cold. It was all so damn confusing. He didn't get how on the one hand she opened up to him and relied on him, but on another always seemed to be on his case about something.

Seeing Andy talking with Robel and the ex campaign manager who's name he could barely recall, Robert headed in her direction.

"Excuse me," he placed a hand at the small of Andy's back and began leading her away. "May I speak with you for a moment."

Robert didn't wait for a reply before guiding her away from the table.

"What are you doing?" Andy grumbled as Robert wordlessly moved them away from the crowd and down a hallway just outside of the ballroom.

Pushing open the door of what appeared to be a supply closet, Robert wasted no time saying what was on his mind.

"What is your problem? You're on my case again for no reason. It's like you're looking for a reason to be mad at me?" His frustration and exasperation flowed freely. "I just found out about the job and would have told you."

Despite recognizing the truth of Robert's words Andy looked at him as if he had two heads.

"You're making things up," she replied with her arms crossed.

"Now who's gaslighting who?" Robert threw back in her direction.

When Andy said nothing he continued. "Look. I'm on a clock. So why don't we just skip the part where we stare each other down over the next few shifts, but don't actually address anything. What did I do this time?"

"That's just it, Robert. You didn't even think..." Before she'd fully realized what she was about to say Robert interrupted.

Incredulous, his voice raised. "You do realize, you lost the right to have a say in how I live my life when you walked out on our marriage."

Andy sucked air between her teeth and quickly fired back. "How long have you been waiting to use that one?"

Robert rubbed the side of his face. This was going nowhere quickly. "Andy?" he questioned, his face saying 'seriously."

"You've made it very clear you don't care about my opinion so..." Shaking her head, Andy attempted to move around Robert's large frame. "If you'll excuse me."

He'd heard her, but refused to move.

Was there a level after confusion? If there was, that's what Robert felt as he took in the sight of this stunningly beautiful, deeply enraging woman.

After nearly 2 years of acting like she didn't give a rat's ass what he did with his life, he was now supposed to understand why she was invested. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes to gather composure.

"Why do you care, Andy?" Robert asked.

Remaining silent and standing in place, Andy's memory jumped backwards in time a few weeks.

She had just asked Chief Ross what she wanted repeatedly and when the answer finally flew out of the other woman's mouth it landed like a gut punch. Somehow, through sheer force she maintained a mostly neutral expression as Ross' sentiments reverberated on the inside of her.

"I want the job and the man…"

Seeing the pictures of Robert in bed with someone else had been infuriating on so many levels. Initially she thought it was just because she was angry about the lying and how this might impact the team, but the more time passed, the more she had to face the music.

She was jealous.

It was one thing to know he was dating. It was one thing to even suspect it was Ross. It was something else completely to see him, imagine him being intimate with someone else. It brought up a rage and protectiveness she knew she didn't have a right to feel.

She was overwhelmingly, green with envy and if that was true…

Robert waited, letting the silence stretch on before he asked again with a slightly raised voice. "Why do you care?"

This was getting dangerously uncomfortable, Andy decided, as she held Robert's gaze and did her best to ignore how handsome he looked as he questioned. Her mind had gone to all sorts of inappropriate places when she saw him in that perfectly fitted tux earlier in the evening.

"Andy!" Robert's voice pulled her back to the present moment and in an instant she figured, "what the hell?"

Her words were rushed and slightly breathless though she had no legitimate reason for an elevated heart rate.

"Because you moved on and I'm stuck here loving you," Andy exclaimed loudly.

"What?" Bewilderment emanated from Robert's entire being.

Surely, he'd heard her incorrectly.

Andy saw the perplexed expression moving across his face and realized the bomb she'd just dropped on them both. The music had stopped on what had become their post divorce friendship era. Not lovers anymore, but more than just teammates had ended.

They'd never be able to go back there.

"Yes. Ok. I still love you. I am in love with you," the more times she said it, the more true it felt. The more the past two years of big emotions, running, avoiding, pretending and settling started to make sense.

"I love you when I hate you and I love you when I'm mad at you and I love you when I'm pretending not to. And not for lack of trying not to love you. I have tried." Andy grumbled and motioned wildly with her hands to indicate her frustration. "Dear God, I've tried."

Robert's eyes widened the more she spoke. His tongue felt like a cement block, his breath felt shallow and hard to come by. What alternate universe had he suddenly stepped into?

"Apparently I just have a thing for the tall, stubborn, over protective type."

When he heard her description of him to cap off the shocking declaration Robert did the only thing he could do.

Laughed.

Deep, full, belly laughs erupted from him. The muscles of his abs contracted and released. Traces of happy tears filled his eyes. He hadn't laughed this hard in years.

"Great," Andy said with a disheartened look as she watched him respond to her admission.

Leaning into the wall, slightly bent forward, Robert's laughter bounced off the small, dimly lit closet they'd found themselves in.

In all fairness Andy felt she deserved this.

Deserved his reaction. The words that had just come out of her mouth were crazy and completely opposite to how she'd been treating him over the past year. There was no explaining it, but wasn't that true of love?

Wasn't that true of all big, complicated emotions?

When Robert had barely come up for air, Andy made a decision to try and exit gracefully.

"I'm just gonna go while I still have a shred of dignity left." Andy murmured.

Hearing Andy's voice, Robert composed himself despite the sense of disbelief whirling about within.

"I'm sorry. I..." He chuckled again lightly because he couldn't think of a more appropriate response.

It was so ridiculous.

Shaking his head and shrugging slightly, Robert asked the first question that came to mind. "What was all that pushing me to back Ross?"

Hands on hips, Andy sighed. "I wanted you to do the right thing. Be the man I know you are. Support her professionally because that's what she deserved."

Robert nodded a little as he continued working to wrap his mind around Andy's words.

"I would've done that without you reading me for filth," he replied back.

"Seemed like you needed a nudge…" Andy said unapologetically.

"And for the record I still wanted to deck her when she told me she wanted the man and the job." This time a sheepish grin curved her lips upward.

Thinking he'd figured it out. "Ahhh. I get it." Robert nodded as things seemed to be coming into perspective for him.

"You're jealous. You saw pictures of me with another woman and it stirred up…." His voice trailed off as he considered what exactly had been brought to the surface.

"Don't worry, it'll wear off." He said a bit dismissively.

Annoyed because he clearly wasn't getting it, Andy replied back. "I haven't been in a serious relationship since the divorce, Robert. And in case you forgot, I'm kind of a catch."

She stared at her ex-husband and knew his wheels were turning. Her words had affected him though the lack of belief was palpable.

"You think that's a coincidence?" she finally asked.

Seeing the seriousness in Andy's eyes, Robert

was beginning to realize she believed what she'd said.

And there it was again…confusion.

"I could sleep with every woman in Seattle and you shouldn't care because you left," he said with exasperation in his voice.

Andy breathed and replied honestly, "But I do."

"Why?" It was like he'd heard the words, but he hadn't really heard her.

"I already told you. I love you Robert Sullivan."

Robert looked around the tight space and turned slightly to face the shelves. The closet was feeling smaller and smaller by the second.

Andy watched as realization hit him. She was serious.

"I know. I broke us. I walked away. I didn't fight. So I should stay quiet. Let you move on. Let you be happy. It's selfish and unfair, but I don't care." Her voice was softer now.

Robert was silent as he thought. It hadn't occurred to him at all that he had anything to do with why Andy wasn't seeing anyone seriously.

She'd been a concerned friend, she'd checked on his sobriety, they'd found a good rhythm working together again, but figured it was just her doing what she did for everyone.

"You realize this is crazy right?" He was at a bit of a loss for words.

"I'm aware." Andy replied.

Robert had spent years in a war zone, he'd lost his first wife to a horrific accident and yet somehow the end of his marriage to Andy still ranked up there with some of the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life.

He'd willingly walked away knowing he still loved her and believing, despite actions that said otherwise that she loved him. When he said all those months ago that maybe it was just bad timing, it seemed like the only logical reason two people with such intense chemistry could fail so epically at a relationship.

"Why now? Why after all this time?" Robert turned back to face Andy fully.

"Because life is short. People fall through roofs. Freak accidents happen during practice fires. And because I know what life is like before you, with you and after. It's better with you. I'm better with you." she said plainly.

Holding Robert's gaze she added, "I'm also pretty sure you love me too."

He rubbed a hand over his eyes and down his jaw. Closing the small gap between them, Robert cupped Andy's face and his thumb swiped across her cheek gently.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "You're right. I do love you."

He wouldn't lie to her. He could, but that wouldn't be right and after her heartfelt honesty, it would be unfair to muddy the moment with untruths.

The scandal of his secret relationship with Ross had pushed him to his own set of realizations. He didn't feel for her the same way she felt for him. Her admission about wanting to marry him had been sobering.

He cared about her a lot and also knew what it was like to FEEL that overwhelming, all consuming, can't imagine my life without you love… but he didn't feel that now.

Moreover, despite Tash's desires she couldn't give him what he needed and wanted from a relationship.

Compromise. Partnership. Give and take.

She was all take right now. They'd said they were hiding for privacy to see what could be built and to protect each other's careers but when it had all been on the line, twice, she chose herself and hung him out to dry.

Maybe a former version of him would be okay with abandoning himself and his needs, but he was too old for games.

They weren't right for each other and trying to force it was only dragging out the inevitable. After a couple days of silence to clear his head, he called it quits and pulled them out of limbo.

That was a few weeks ago and the more Robert thought about it, the more he saw Spokane and transitioning there as the fresh start he needed.

Leaning down, Robert placed a gentle kiss on Andy's lips.

Her admission was beyond unexpected and dammit if there wasn't a part of him that wondered if maybe their timing could be better this go around, but he also knew needed to go. He knew if he didn't do something to move his life forward, he'd stay stuck where he was.

And that just wasn't something he could bear.

"I think a part of me will love you forever, but I have to let go." He paused for a moment. "If we don't move on, we'll never move on."

The words were heavy and deep.

Andy swallowed back the emotion welling up in her throat and willed the tears in her eyes not to fall. "Okay."

They shuffled uncomfortably out of the supply closet and went in separate directions for the remainder of the gala.

Some time later...

It hadn't been long since Andy had arrived back to her place. Still dressed in the flirty, black dress, standing barefoot in her kitchen, she drank a glass of water and pulled the pins and small elastic band from her hair.

Running a hand through loose waves she replayed the events of the night over in her mind. Her heart ached, but at least she'd told the truth. That was something she could be proud of.

When a loud knock interrupted her thoughts she couldn't help the flurry of hope that buzzed through her body.

Hours had passed since their conversation in the supply closet and Robert hadn't been able to get Andy's words out of his mind.

"...you moved on and I'm stuck here loving you…"

The thing was… he hadn't moved on.

His love for her hadn't moved on. He'd forced himself to push down how he felt so he could move forward, but if they were both there, stuck loving each other there had to be a way to make it work.

Right?

"Love wasn't enough," Robert said with no preamble as soon as Andy opened the door. "We had that before and still ended up hurt and angry."

There wasn't a force in the world that could have stopped the curl of Andy's lips upward. He was here. Something she'd said resonated with him. She hadn't totally misread things.

"So we communicate better. Do it differently. Get help," she replied softly.

"I waited for you a long time, Andy," Robert countered honestly.

The pain from that time had dulled, but the memory was still very real for him.

Andy ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "I'm sorry." She'd replayed that 10 months over and over in her head wishing she could have a do-over.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I.."

He felt like an idiot being there. Standing in the doorway about to jump off a cliff. Robert knew they had been here before and there were no guarantees it would turn out any better than the last time.

"How do I know you won't run or give up after the first big fight?" he questioned gently.

"You don't. So we take it slow. We rebuild trust." Andy's answers were simple because it felt simple.

She may not have been able to explain why she felt what she felt or why she knew Robert felt the same, but if after all this time, all this life shared, all these opportunities to go different paths with other people they still kept winding up on each other's door steps.

In her mind, there was only one thing to do from here:

Figure it out.

"I have to go to Spokane. For a year at least. I need to do that for me." For the first time in a long time Robert was making a decision that was best for him.

Choosing something that was purely good for him. Not sacrificing. Not waiting. Not putting his needs on the back burner.

He'd worked hard to recover his career after the demotion and Andy knew it would be unfair to ask him not to go. The thought of seeing him less and not working together wasn't totally appealing, but maybe they'd learn the meaning of distance makes the heart grow fonder.

And some professional distance, some time for them to thrive and grow in their careers without competing would let them just be in love and be each other's person.

They wouldn't have to fight about calls or disagree about who was where in the chain of command. It would give them time to build a stronger foundation.

He deserved Battalion Chief and she deserved her recent promotion to Captain.

Smiling bigger now, Andy finally answered. "We work 10 days a month. I'll drive over. You'll drive over. We'll figure it out."

Robert racked his mind for other problems that could pop up. "What if–"

She was tired of waiting. "Would you just shut up and kiss me?" Andy blurted out.

Robert grinned, stepped fully through the door and hugged Andy's body to his. "Yes, Captain," he teased before his lips collapsed against hers.

They dove into each other and time stopped. Years of pent up emotion barreling to the surface as their lips met each other's again and again. This wasn't a gentle start up, it was an explosion.

Robert's arms tightened around Andy's small frame as her mouth moved hungrily against his. Her urgency and possessiveness matched his own. With each swipe of her tongue through the cavern of his mouth, desire flooded his body.

A moan rose from the back of Andy's throat as Robert nipped at her bottom lip before taking their embrace deeper. The taste and feel of him sent a swirl of energy throughout every cell of her body and the more she opened up, the more his tongue invaded her, the more she wanted.

She wanted to see him, touch him, feel the hard ridges of his muscles against her naked curves and be reacquainted with all the parts of him she'd missed.

Breathless Andy pulled back slightly, "We start slow tomorrow," she murmured between kisses. "Tonight, I'm taking you outta this tux."