I hope the new year is finding everyone well! I apologize a million times over and I understand full heartedly if interest has been lost in this story! I got the Vista 2012 Virus just before Christmas and it's really messed up my lap top, and to boot, my workplace closes for 2 weeks for Christmas with my work computer locked in my office not allowing me to do updates. I just haven't found the app for creating word documents on my ipad yet.

Hopefully, this chapter helps rekindle some interest! I can't wait to read all the updates… Two and half weeks with no Rookie Blue fics made me a very sad girl and there's so much to catch up on from all the awesome authors!

Thanks,

Nikka.

Disclaimer: Don't own Rookie Blue, because if I did, it'd be on all year long!

O o O o O o O

Sam stormed out of the observation room and slammed the door to the interrogation room open, stomping through it to stare down its two occupants.

Andy and Boyd jumped and looked at the door.

"Sam!"

"No freaking way, Andy McNally," Sam said in an eerily calm voice. His murderous gaze pinned her to her spot. "No freaking way are you going anywhere near a meet that Jamie Brennan set up."

A tension filled silence seemed to drag on for hours as the waves of anger and anxiety poured off of Sam. His dark eyes remained fixed on Andy's, daring her to say something. All he needed was for her to protest just a little bit and whatever shreds of control he was able to maintain would be completely gone.

He watched as she met his eyes with her own widened stare of shock. Her face clearly belied that he had startled her with his words and intensity, but she sat up straight in her chair, not backing down. Still, she didn't even attempt to react in a manner she knew would piss him off, that of flat out denying his wishes which would have effectively sent him over the edge of reason where she was concerned.

Sam narrowed his eyes at her clearly annoyed that she was taking the mature route. He might have even snorted at her attempts to remain indifferent to his outburst. Of course, then he would have had to fail to be impressed at the fact that she was reading him like a book and forcing him to make a move to get her to react instead of letting her push him towards a reaction that would only make him incredibly look foolish in the end.

If that's how this was going to play out, fine. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and never once allowed his eyes to drop from hers, even when Boyd finally got the nerve to speak.

"Sammy," Boyd spoke up cautiously, not bothering to lift himself from his seat. "She signed on for this. She's doing great as much as it pains me to admit it. I mean," he began to stammer getting a bit excited. "It's Jamie freaking-Brennan!"

"No."

"You don't even know what Brennan wants from her but you say no," Boyd questioned, showing his irritation.

Sam finally broke eye contact with Andy who had been sitting watching him impassively, to look at Boyd. He rolled his head about in a circle as if trying to relive tension that had been building up before looking the other man in the eye.

"It doesn't matter," he said matter of factly. "She's not going anywhere near Jamie Brennan again."

Andy had been trying to appear unaffected by Sam's sudden appearance and his consequently harsh denial of her continuing with the plan to meet Jamie Brennan. She watched her partner and former training officer interact with Boyd in a sort of odd fascination. While she feigned indifference, Andy knew her lack of reaction was probably the only thing saving her and Boyd from Sam's temper and an outright attack. If Sam really pushed the issue, Andy knew that she would cave in and not show for the meeting. She also knew that despite his worry over her as partner and a friend, Sam would eventually feel guilty about her not completing a mission at his request.

"Sam," she said cautiously trying to remain calm and level headed. Andy didn't know why, but when she was around Sam she was never able to react rationally when it came to her emotions. Sure she felt completely safe with him around, but emotionally stable, that was different story and one that she wasn't willing to investigate right now. "It's already done. If I don't go to this meet now, then Brennan will definitely know that I'm a cop. He-"

"How do know he doesn't already know that," Sam cut her off as he looked worriedly at her.

Boyd looked about ready to interject when Andy sent him a glare that told him to keep his mouth shut.

"Because he doesn't," she answered simply. Looking him in the eye again, she smirked a bit. "Call it a gut feeling."

At his snort and subsequent cocky disbelieving look, Andy felt herself bristle with irritation. Partners always had each other's backs. That was the drill. That was rule number one in his book. Sometimes, Andy didn't understand why his first reaction was to keep her on the sidelines of situations when the stakes were so high. Despite knowing that is was wrong her to jump to that conclusion, the only one popping into her head was that he didn't trust her. That hurt her more than all the drama with Luke and the past few weeks. Andy needed his trust and support about as much as she needed air. That realization only spawned her anger.

"Are you saying you don't trust me," she asked much more calmly than she thought capable of while standing up.

Sam, to his credit, actually looked shocked and then ashamed at her words. For her to think that about why he behaving this way was a definite blow to him. Of course, he trusted her, with his life in fact, but this was different, the stakes were too high. Sam brought his hand up to rub the back of his head and looked at her, clearly at a loss. He only knew in that moment that he couldn't lose her.

"That's not it at all McNally," he said calmly. All of his anger dissipated while he looked at her. "This guy is no joke. I don't want anyone I know close to him." Sam started to get worked up as he spoke to her. "I don't want you getting anywhere near him when you don't know what he wants. This guy can spot a cop a mile away before you even open your mouth."

Andy watched as he started getting more worked up. Sam's chest heaved. She was slightly confused by his reactions and by how his body was responding. This was not normal Sam-like behavior.

"I've already agreed to this," Andy flicked her eyes to Boyd almost willing him to stay silent. "Brennan likes me. He's been chatting me up for a while now. I see him almost every day. This Rourke guy approached me and ever since, I've seen Brennan every day."

Andy watched Sam's face darken as she spoke, but she wasn't going to give up just yet. Boyd started to move to get up and most likely, to interject, when Andy fixed a harsh look at him that had him sitting down into his seat again with a resigned sigh and his hands up in surrender. She almost smirked at Boyd's unthinking obedience. Then her gaze flicked back to Sam and she was conflicted, angry, hurt, but sure of her next move.

"Sam," her voice was calm, and there was something to her tone that spoke volumes to the fact that she wasn't going to be talked out of this. "I'm going, it's done."

Sam watched her tell him that she was going and then felt everything slow down around him as the thudding of his heart suddenly seemed to stop and the blood rushed to his head like a freight train was barreling through. Looking at the determined set to her chin, and the way her eyes sought his, Sam knew that this was the moment that she was going to ask him to face his fears and back her up on this. She needed him as much as he needed her to be safe from harm's way.

"The thing is," she spoke casually, much more than Sam would like her to. "I need your help to get the jitters out. You help me get settled in and comfortable. You know this guy, you know me. You need to be the one in my ear listening in. You'll know if it starts to go bad."

Sam rolled his head around on his shoulders in an attempt to get some of the stress out of his body. He was pretty sure that he was going to strangle her for her audacity in her approach. It was ballsy, but dead on. There was no way he could say no.

He looked back at her, his face blank, his eyes boring into hers. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and leveled her with the firmest TO stare at her.

"We do this some rules in place," he stopped when her mouth opened to protest. The look he sent her effectively silenced her for the moment. He stood with his arms still over his chest, eyes locked with hers as he continued.

"One, you two tell me everything that you've been doing since you've been detailed to GnG," he motioned between Andy and Boyd. "Everything. Not a single detail will be left out."

Andy bristled a bit knowing he'd either laugh at her or be annoyed with her UC as a pre-school teacher. She looked to Boyd who nodded at her and then promptly looked back at same.

"Agreed."

"Two," Sam paused for a dramatic effect. "I'm apart of anything that happens on this case from here on out. Zero exceptions."

"Agreed," Boyd spoke for the both of them as he stood. He saw Sam's posture stiffen at the sound of his voice, but he decided to let it go for the moment.

"Three," Sam stepped forward until he was right in front of Andy, and reached out for her left wrist and held it up. "You have to tell me why McNally has a bruise for decoration on her wrist."

Andy tried to pull her wrist out of Sam's deceivingly gentle, yet firm grip before she looked over to Boyd. Catching her startled look, Boyd immediately felt guilty and was already trying to deny it being intentional. Sure Boyd had his issues with Andy, but he wasn't a total ass that had wanted to hurt her. Holding her wrist as tightly as he did on the way to her cover apartment had simply been a way for him to remind himself that she was come out of another day alive with her cover intact.

Boyd knew how dangerous these players were. He worried about McNally going in. Sure she took to the role quickly and it was like second nature to her, but she was also green. Brennan's habit of cornering her for conversation had had him worried to say the least.

"Sam," Andy's voice warned. "It was an accident."

He snorted and then got angry. Boyd took a step towards them and stopped in his tracks. He'd seen Sam worked up before, but the look in his eyes right now would have stopped a perfect stranger.

"I was worried Sammy," Boyd attempted lamely. "She met me every day, we were a couple for the sake of her cover."

Hearing Boyd's lame excuse had Sam seeing red. Andy looked nonchalantly at Boyd and was trying to keep as still as possible. The Swarek temper was legendary and she was not trying to invoke that wrath today. Well, more than she already had. She watched in a detached sense of fascination and nearly had to shake herself to stop this from getting worse as Sam stepped towards Boyd.

"That meant she got bruises" Sam's flat voice questioned.

"Sam!"

"No," Boyd shook his head. He was trying to portray cockiness, but Sam's temper wasn't something he never enjoyed facing. "It's not what you think."

Sam's head whipped away from Andy and towards Boyd. The steely glare that he leveled on Boyd would have made most men feel intimidated, but Boyd was slightly amused despite knowing that it could be very bad for his health.

"What I think," Sam spoke low, a dangerous quality his voice. "Is that you have a problem keeping your hands to yourself and off my partner."

"Hey Andy-" David walked into the room. His smile quickly slid off of his face as he took in the tense atmosphere of the interview room.

"Yea," Andy asked trying and failing horribly for an unaffected manner.

"Um," Dave's eyes settled on her. "Chris just called and wanted to know if you were going to make it home for dinner tonight. Something about a cook off challenge throw down."

Involuntarily, Andy's lips turned up on the sides into a little smirk until she caught herself. She and Chris had established weekly cook offs in an attempt to find something that had amused them. Without Dov around so much, there were only so many distractions to participate in. She felt Sam's anger magnify and radiate off his body at her reaction to David's words. Andy wasn't quite sure why he was so angry, but she knew enough to give him some time and space and then he'd calm down and talk her.

Clearing her throat, Andy fidgeted nervously and then looked to Boyd. "I should go call him and tell him I won't be home until later. He worries worse than an old lady lately."

She knew that it was the cowardly thing to do, but at Boyd's nod she scurried from the room with David hell bent to get a few minutes reprieve from the tempers of the two men in the room. She felt like she was in a tug of war that she couldn't win and didn't even want to play.

Andy knew that once she re-entered that interview room that she'd be at Sam's mercy and being that that man didn't miss too much, Andy knew that she was probably in for a very long night as she detailed every single minute of her UC.

O o O o O

Okay, hopefully this was worth the wait. I am already working on the next chapter and hope to have it up this weekend. It's a slower chapter and I'm not completely happy with it, but I think it was necessary.