A/N: Again, if you're gonna leave a negative comment about Marlo/Nick, don't, I'm not interested in bein' somebody's bitching outlet.

Boyko paired them every shift for the next two weeks. When they walked into Parade and instead of seeing Boyko saw Frank Best in a white shirt they both wondered if their partnership was over, but when the first pairing he announced was McNally and Swarek both let out a sigh of relief.

"There some reason you don't wanna be partnered with another T.O?" Nick asked at the coffee station as Andy fixed coffee for both her and Sam.

Andy sighed. "What d'ya want, Nick?"

"You and Swarek ..."

"What's it to you what Sam and I are?"

"Look, Andy, it's not exactly a secret that Swarek is the 'go-to' guy for all things undercover ..."

"Again, what's it to you? You seem to forget, you're not my boyfriend anymore ... you dumped me for the Ice Queen, remember? So my life is none of your business!"

"Andy ..."

"No. You left me. You don't get to tell me how to live my life or who I can have in it, Nick. We're over and I'm done."

Sam came up beside her. "You ready?"

Andy handed him his coffee and nodded.

Sam waited until they were in the car. "You wanna tell me what that was about?"

"I would if I knew."

"What happened?"

"He's got a problem with you 'n me gettin' along, I guess."

Sam looked at her. "Ok, I can see my friends not gettin' it because every rookie but you is afraid of me,"

Andy laughed.

"But another rookie havin' a problem with it ... maybe Collins and I need to have a little chat."

"Or Nick can take his attitude and go to hell."

Sam couldn't help it, he laughed.

"He's under the impression his opinion matters ... it doesn't."

Sam looked over at his rookie. "Like I said, Collins and I need to have a chat."

Andy was shocked when Sam turned the engine off and got out of the car heading back into the barn.

Sam was at the door before Andy got out. "Sam! Wait!'"

"McNally, get back in the car, I'll be there in a minute."

Andy was torn between following the order of her superior officer and going after him.

Nick was in Booking with Dov. "Epstein, can you handle the desk by yourself while I speak to Collins or do you need me to call McNally in?"

"Uh, n-no Sir, I can handle it."

"Good. Collins, get off your ass."

Nick looked at Sam a little confused but did as he was told, following Sam toward the locker rooms.

Sam stopped in the hall. It was so sudden Nick almost ran into him so when Sam turned around their faces were inches apart.

"You got a problem with me, Collins?"

"Sir?"

"You don't want me to ask the question twice, Collins."

"Why would I have a problem with you, Sir?"

"So you're sayin' it's my rookie you have a problem with?"

"McNally? No Sir, why would I have a problem with her?"

"You got a problem with somethin' ..."

"Sir, I don't think that ..."

"Do not say it's none of my business. My rookie is my business ..."

"Yeah, until the next UC comes up, right?"

Sam slammed him against the wall.

"You little prick. Do you have any idea how important it is to trust your partner when you're out there?! She trusted me, at least I think she trusted me, until you opened your mouth. If you put any doubts in her head that I'd leave her without so much as a second thought ..."

"He didn't," was Andy's soft spoken response.

Sam turned to look at her. "Aren't you supposed to be in the car?"

Andy grinned. "Yeah, but my T.O went missing so I came to find him."

"I'll be there as soon as I finish with Collins ..."

"Don't let me keep you ..."

Sam turned back to the man in front of him.

"I'll keep you here as long as it takes. As her T.O, she is my main concern ..."

Andy put her hand on Sam's arm. "Let it go, Sam. He's not worth it."

Sam looked at her. "He isn't, but you are."

Andy didn't get a chance to respond because Sam let Nick go when someone came down the hall.

"Get back to your desk," Sam growled, "and leave McNally alone."

Nick straightened his uniform blouse before going back to join Dov in Booking.

Andy put her hand on Sam's arm. "You ok?"

"Are you?"

Andy nodded. "I meant it, Sam, he didn't. I do trust you."

That brought out the dimples. "Y'know that's the first time you said you trust me?"

Andy gave him a smile of her own.

"Why don't you go replace our coffees? I need to visit the gym for a minute."

"Why?"

"Because I wanna hit pretty boy but can't without getting reprimanded so I'll go hit the bag."

Andy couldn't help it, she laughed. "Ok."

Andy went to the coffee station and Sam went to the gym unaware that someone had witnessed the entire exchange.

Sam had just put the gloves on and taken a couple swings at the bag when the gym door opened and Marlo walked in.

"Hey."

Marlo straddled the bench. "When were you gonna tell me?"

Sam grabbed the bag. "Tell you what?"

"That you've got feelings for, what was it you called her? Your rookie?"

Sam hit his forehead against the bag. He just went a round with Collins, now Marlo wanted to go one?

He didn't have that strong of a hold on his temper as it was ...

"What else would you call her since I'm her T.O?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe her name?! I mean my's just a little possessive, don'tcha think? Especially for someone already in a relationship ..."

"You wanna talk possessive? What the hell were those dozen messages I got after my first shift back? Just because I didn't go to the Penny."

"Funny thing that night, neither did McNally. Don't suppose you know where she was do you?"

Sam had enough.

"Yeah, I do ... because she was with me. You want me to apologize for that, you can wait til hell freezes over because I won't. You wanna think somethin' happened between us, somethin' did, a mutual respect."

"That's not all that happened," Marlo scoffed.

"You're right. I did somethin' I've never done before ... I became friends with a woman and y'know, that means a helluva lot more to me than whatever you're thinkin' right now because whatever we were, we're not, because I'm done."

Marlo was shocked. She didn't expect this to go that sideways.

"Friends, huh? With or without benefits?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but without."

"She won't be a rookie forever."

Sam let the implication slide, took the gloves off and left without another look at Marlo.

At the Sally Port door Sam took a couple deep breaths trying to calm himself.

Andy was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Sam walk out to the car. She slightly freaked out when he opened the door and got behind the wheel.

Sam looked at the woman next to him a little confused and a lot concerned by the squeal she let out of her. When she saw it was Sam, Andy burst into a fit of giggles. "Sorry," she gasped out and Sam couldn't help but chuckle.

"You alright?"

Andy took a deep breath. "Yeah. What took so long? You didn't go back to Booking did you?"

Sam laughed. "No. I had a visitor in the gym."

"Oh God, please not Frank." Andy hid her face in her hands.

"No, it wasn't Frank. It was Cruz."

"Sam, I don't need the details of you and Cruz gettin' all hot and sweaty in the gym."

Sam was shocked at her suggestion. "We mighta got hot 'n bothered, McNally, but not that way!"

"Come again?"

"You could say there was a verbal altercation."

"What? Why?"

"Because I called you my rookie."

"You can't be serious? Sam, I am so sorry for all of this."

"G.I. Joe owes you the apology, not you owe me one. As for what happened in the gym, let's leave it there ok?"

Andy stared out the window, too embarrassed to look at him. Sam reached over and tugged on her hand so she'd look at him. "There's no G.I Joe or S.W.A.T with attitude here, it's just you and me, ok?"

Andy smiled, her first real smile since before Nick's little stunt at the coffee station. "Yeah, ok."

"Good. Then let's go see how many rules we can't break today."

Andy laughed. He'd told her their first shift together he didn't have any rules.

"Can we make one?"

"Go."

"We forget this morning happened."

"Nope, I can't do that."

"Why not, Sam?"

Sam flashed the dimples. "Because I'm not gonna forget you sayin' you trust me, McNally. It's taken me two weeks to hear you say those words ..."

Andy laughed. "Fine. But can we forget the rest?"

"What were we talkin' about?" He winked at her and Andy was sure her insides turned to mush.

Word spread through the Division like wildfire that unless you wanted to deal with a pissed off - and no one did! - Swarek, McNally was left alone. Over the course of their partnership it would become legendary how protective of Andy Sam was.

They'd been on the streets a month before Sam really felt like they'd gotten past the attitudes about their partnership. Both Nick and Marlo kept their distance.

Halfway through Andy's evaluation period there was a city wide blackout. It was a day neither would forget anytime soon. Not only did Andy have to draw on a suspect, she had to fire when they turned a gun on her. She emptied the clip.

Sam found her sitting on the bench in the women's locker room in the dark. He sat next to her. "You ok?"

She wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them. "Me? Yeah, totally fine."

Sam chuckled. "Try sellin' that to somebody who'll buy it, McNally."

Andy shot him a look.

"You shot somebody today."

"He, uh, didn't, uh, gimme much choice. It was one of those him or me moments."

"And I'm glad you're the one that's still here. Listen, if you need someone to talk to, you call me, ok?"

"Yeah, ok."

Sam knew she was far from ok but also knew there was nothing he could do until she let him in. Squeezing her knee he stood up, kissing the top of her head he left.

Andy was sitting alone in her apartment, tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't stop seeing that gun pointed at her or the sound as she fired.

Grabbing her keys and cell she left needing to get out of the silence.

She walked the streets with no destination in mind when she found herself on Sam's doorstep.

The last person Sam expected to see when he opened the door was Andy.

Even in the dark he could see the tear stains on her cheek.

Without a word, Sam motioned her inside.

Andy let Sam lead her into his living room. She sat down while Sam went into the kitchen. He came back with two beer to find her with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Sam sat next to her and put his hand on her back. Andy let go of her knees and wrapped her arms around Sam's waist. With her head on his chest the tears fell again.

Sam held her as she cried. When the tears ran out Sam picked her up, thinking she'd fallen asleep he carried her upstairs.

When Sam laid her on the bed and went to stand up Andy grabbed his hand like her life depended on it.

"Don't ..."

Sam leaned over and kissed forehead. "I'll be right back."

Andy watched in the dim light of the candles as Sam made his way to his dresser and pulled something out before walking back to the bed.

Sam handed her a T-shirt and boxers. "Here, you can sleep in these."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," Andy whispered as she took them and crawled off the bed. She left the bathroom door open as she stripped out of her own clothes before slipping Sam's shirt over her head. She left his boxers on the counter.

Andy stepped out of the bathroom to find Sam gone. She crawled in Sam's bed just as he reappeared in the door.

"I'm sorry. I, I just kept seeing him point the gun at me and hear the sound of the gun ..." anything else was choked off by the tears in her voice.

Sam sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed a tear away. "You did what you had t'do, Andy."

When Andy leaned into his touch, Sam got up and sat back against the headboard. When she curled up against him Sam wrapped both arms around her. "Do somethin' for me?"

"What?"

"Try and get some sleep." Andy nodded against his chest.

When he thought she was asleep Sam moved out from under her.

"Stay," was the groggy request.

Sam shook his head as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to her. It was a bad idea, one that could get both of them in trouble but his only concern at that moment was the doe eyed woman next to him.

As soon as she felt him next to her, Andy's head found its way onto his chest as she wrapped her arms around him.

Sam's last thought before he fell asleep was that this was a bad idea.

The sound of a strangled scream woke Sam. Andy was sitting up with her arms wrapped around her knees, her head resting against them. He could tell from her back her breathing was ragged.

He didn't want to scare her. "Andy."

Andy turned haunted eyes towards Sam. He opened his arms. "C'mere."

Sam ran his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her. Andy leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I ..." she flopped over onto her back. Sam rolled onto his side and brushed her hair away. "You don't have to thank me, Andy."

Andy leaned up and kissed him.

"Andy ..."

Andy cut off anything else he would've said with another kiss. This time Sam met her half way.

Andy had just pulled Sam over on top of her when the lights came back on.

Sam laughed when Andy cursed Toronto Hydro.

Sam kissed her before he rolled off the bed. "Lemme go turn some of that off ..."

Sam wasn't sure what he would find walking back into his bedroom. Seeing her laying in his bed he leaned against the door frame and watched her for a minute before she asked, "Are you gonna stand there and look at me or come back to bed?"

Pushing off the door frame he walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. "Not only are you usin' my shirt for a nightshirt, McNally, you're in my bed ..."

"Yeah, alone," she grumbled making Sam laugh.

Sam cupped her face in his hands. "We haven't done anything, we can go back ..."

Andy got up on her knees so she was looking Sam in the eye. "I don't wanna go back ... except to where we were before the lights came on."

Sam laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

Andy wrapped her arms around him as she fell back onto the bed. Sam laughed as he kissed her.

Sam made love to her until she was too exhausted to do anything but curl up in his arms and sleep.

The next morning Andy woke to the smell of coffee. Sam kissed her cheek as he crawled back in beside her.

Andy curled up against him and mumbled, "Don't want to."

Sam laughed, "Don't wanna what, McNally?"

"Dreamin'."

"What were you dreamin', McNally?" Sam asked almost afraid of the answer.

"Sam."

Sam chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "What about me?"

Andy's eyes flew open. She smiled shyly as she reached to touch him. "You're real."

Sam laughed as he pulled her close. "Disappointed?"

"I thought you were a dream," she whispered softly.

"I'm nobody's dream, McNally."

"Yeah, you are. You're mine."

Sam kissed her as she wrapped her arms around him. "It'll be a nightmare if anybody finds out. T.O's aren't supposed to get involved with their rookies."

Andy scowled at the reminder. "Yeah, so I was told, in no uncertain terms by the Ice Queen the day of the Fite Nite sting."

"Yeah, for somebody that wants to be treated like just another rookie she has no problem reminding people who she is."

Andy laughed. It was true.

"Guess I should go home so you can get ready for your shift."

"Actually, we're both off. I called Frank while I was makin' coffee,"

Shocked, Andy sat up. "You what?"

"Come back here." Sam reached for her. "Told him I had a rookie on my couch."

Andy raised her eyebrows. "The couch?"

"Yeah, well, I couldn't exactly tell him anything else without us gettin' in shit, could I?"

Andy giggled. "Yeah, ok."

"He asked me what happened, told him you showed up on my doorstep last night havin' a tough time dealin' with what happened. He told me to take the day."

"An unplanned day off, you probably got stuff you wanna do ..."

"I don't know, McNally, what d'ya wanna do today?"

Andy giggled. "Sam, you don't have to babysit me."

"If I didn't wanna spend it with you, woman, I wouldn't've called Frank."

"Thought maybe you did that to get outta bein' partnered with the Ice Queen," she teased.

Andy squealed in surprise when Sam flipped her over onto her back.

"If there's somethin' you wanna do today, we'll do it."

Andy grinned up at him. "Is stayin' in bed an option?"

Sam laughed as he leaned down to kiss her.

They walked into the barn the next morning unsure what awaited them. They separated at the locker rooms.

"Hey, you ok?" Traci asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Andy ..."

"Trac, I'm fine."

"You smell like Swarek, McNally," Marlo commented as she walked out.

Traci stared at their senior officer's retreating form before turning back to Andy. It creeped Andy out a little when Traci smelled her. "She's right, you do. Andy ..."

"What? He let me crash on his couch so I wasn't alone the night of the blackout."

"That doesn't explain why you smell like him today ..."

"Because I never left."

"Dude!"

"You have no room to talk Officer I'm Sharin' Sheets with My Academy Instructor ..."

"Yeah, but Jerry's not my T.O ..."

"If you're done harassing me, I'd like to get ready for Parade ..."

Traci left her to get changed.

Sam knew something was wrong the moment he saw her. He grabbed her and ushered her into the gym.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm ..."

"Don't even try, McNally. What happened?"

"I got hassled because I smell like you. Then Traci got on me ...

"About?"

"Spending not just the blackout but last night on your couch."

"Sounds like Nash and I need to have a chat."

Sam knew by the look on her face there was more.

"What?"

"Um," Andy was hoping she wouldn't have to tell him.

"Andy ..."

"Marlo," her voice was so soft Sam barely heard her.

"What does Cruz have t'do with anything?" Sam growled.

Sam wouldn't let her when she tried to look away. "What did she say, Andy?"

"On her way outta the locker room, she was the one that made the comment I smelled like you."

Sam growled. Andy had to grab his arm to keep him from charging out of the room in search of the other women.

"Sam! We don't have time, we need to get to Parade ..."

"When it comes to you, McNally, I make the time ..."

Andy didn't get a chance to respond before Sam was out the door.

You could tell by his body language Sam Swarek was a man on a mission and the look on his face told you there'd be hell to pay if you got in his way.

Sam found Nash in Jerry's office. One look at his friend was all Jerry needed to know he wasn't happy about something and judging from the fire in his eyes when he looked at her, Traci was involved.

"Buddy ..."

"This is between me 'n Nash, Barber ..."

Jerry knew that tone. Girlfriend or not, Traci was on her own.

"I'll, uh, go talk to Frank about what we need to cover in Parade ..." and with that he was gone.

"Lemme guess, you thought my rookie wouldn't tell me what happened in the locker room?" Sam's voice was quiet but the anger was unmistakable.

"Look, Sam ..."

"No! You look, I don't give a damn if you're her friend I'm not gonna let anyone upset her. Thought I made it clear with Collins back when you guys first started, she is what matters to me."

"I didn't ..."

"What? You didn't mean to upset her? What did you think was gonna happen when you suggest she can't come to me off duty?!"

"Sam, I didn't ..."

"Think? Obviously. As her T.O, as her friend, she can come to me any time!" Sam turned and walked out before Traci could say anything.

He was still a man on a mission. When he walked into Parade the room cleared with the exception of Andy. Leaving Sam, Andy ... and Marlo.

Sam walked up to her. Marlo tried to look anywhere but at the man in front of her.

"Where the hell d'you get off?"

"Excuse me?"

"You might be her senior officer but you're just another officer to me, and I'm not gonna let anyone upset her. There's nothin' that says T.O's can't support their rookies off duty."

"That's why she smells like you?! Don't remember ever gettin' support like that from any T.O I ever had ..."

Sam growled. "I told you before my relationship with her is none of your business. You might wanna remember that ..."

Sam didn't take his eyes off Marlo as he addressed Andy, "Why don't you go grab our coffees, I'll go talk to Frank. If it's a choice between giving us our assignment outside of Parade and having me in there unimpressed with 2 fellow uniforms, he'll give us our assignment. I'll meet you at the car."

Andy jumped off the desk. "Ok."

10 minutes later Sam met Andy at the car.

Anyone else would be quiet as a church mouse in fear of Sam going off on them, but as soon as they were a safe distance from the station, she put her hand on his arm. He looked over at her. There was concern written all over her face. He smiled and reached for her hand.

"Don't look at me like that, McNally."

"Like what?"

"Like you're worried about me."

"That's because I am. Are you ... "

"I'm with you, I'm fine."

"That's my line, Sam ..."

Sam laughed before he leaned over the computer and stole a kiss. "Gimme a few minutes and I'll be ok. Are you ..."

Andy shrugged. "Yeah. Just ..."

Sam grabbed the radio. "Dispatch, this is 1504, mark us unavailable for the next half hour."

"Copy that, 1504."

"Sam, what ..."

"I have Frank's permission. He knows what happened with Cruz and Nash and since he knows my temper, he gave me up to an hour to blow it off."

Andy was surprised when he pulled up in front of his house.

"Wha ...?"

"It's the only place I can put my arms around you ..."

Andy smiled.

Sam led her into the house and to the couch. Sitting down he pulled her into his lap. Andy straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around Sam's neck as his wrapped his around her waist.

They sat there for probably 15 minutes with Sam just running his hand up and down her back.

Andy's laughter broke the silence. Sam looked at her.

"You scared a few people this morning."

"Just the ones that don't know me."

"You scared me ..."

Sam looked at her, worried.

"Not of you. I didn't know what you were gonna do, I was scared I'd get assigned a different T.O ..."

Sam kissed her cheek. "Not gonna let that happen."

"Are you ok, Sam? Really ok?"

Sam took a deep breath. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"Are you?"

Andy laughed. "That's not answering my question. Yeah. Just worried about you."

Sam raised his eyebrows and she shrugged. "You said it after our first shift, I don't trust easily. I trust you. Don't really know Marlo so I don't really give a damn what she thinks. Traci, I find that funny because she's sleepin' with Jerry and I said I spent the night on your couch ..."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I called her out on sleepin' with Jerry too."

"You know?"

Sam laughed. "Of course I know. He's one of my best friends, McNally."

"Oh God!" Andy groaned as she tried to get up off Sam's lap.

"Where d'you think you're goin'?"

"Sam, Jerry's gonna blame me because you yelled at Traci."

Sam laughed as he tightened his grip on her waist. "No, he's not."

"How d'you know?"

"Because he's too afraid of gettin' his own ass chewed out."

Andy laughed and relaxed against him leaning her forehead against Sam's.

Her soft "I'm sorry," confused Sam. "For?"

"Causin' so much trouble ..."

"Don't."

"I didn't think comin' here ..."

"Andy, no. You did nothin' wrong comin' here."

"Maybe not, but ..."

"You tryin' to piss me off, woman?"

Andy laughed. "No."

"I thought it didn't matter what they said?"

"To me. But if you get in trouble ..."

"As far as the Division knows you spent the night on the couch, there's no rule against that ... or borrowing my shower."

Andy grinned as she asked, "Is there one against sharin' it?"

Sam laughed. "What d'ya think?"

"I think I'm gonna miss your shower ..."

"Until we won't get in trouble for smelling like each other we should probably get a bottle you can leave here," Sam whispered before he kissed her.

Andy pouted. "But that means no company in the shower ..."

Sam laughed. "Woman, there is no way you're showerin' in this house without me."

"In that case, I think I need to take all my showers here ..."

He checked his watch. "As much as I would love to stay here all day, we're back on the clock in 5."

Andy got off Sam's lap so he could stand up.

Sam kissed her before they left. In the car Andy turned to Sam. "You never did answer my question, Sam, are you ok?"

Sam reached for her hand and smiled. "Yeah. Be even better when my rookie stops worryin'."

"Yeah, sorry, don't see that happenin' anytime soon."

They got back to the barn end of shift and separated at the lockers. Andy stepped out to find Sam waiting.

"Give ya a ride to the Penny, McNally?"

"No thanks, Sam, think I'll pass on the Penny tonight."

Sam looked at her, saw her shake her head when Traci and Gail emerged.

Traci stopped. "Comin' to the Penny?"

"Not tonight."

"Andy ..."

"Not happenin' Trac. I'll see you guys tomorrow," and with that she walked out of the barn.