Writers block has been absolutely horrendous. I must have written this chapter 3 or 4 times before I decided it got the story moving to where it needed to. I love Jamie Brennan and am getting excited for more interactions with him! I hope you all enjoy as well!

And thank you for the firm words of encouragement to get back to it!

Enough of my ramblings, on to the next part!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue….. sighs… or any of the characters… they are actually all of the shows as well in this chapter.

O o O o O o O o O

Andy fidgeted nervously at the table waiting for Sam to ask his next question and Boyd to make his next arrogant comment. Knowing that Sam would be confined to the surveillance van provided a small amount of balm to her nerves. He had been relentless when she returned to the interview room. Sam had continued to pepper her with questions until well after midnight. With Sam's tenacity, the interrogation might have gone on all night except that Boyd had bluntly called it quits as Andy had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed to deal with toddlers as he had put it. Sam had been anything but happy, but he had complied saying that he felt better if she got some rest before she was supposed to meet Brennan.

"Come on," Sam's said tiredly handing Andy her jacket. "I'll give you a ride home."

Andy stifled a yawn as she ignored Boyd's glare. "Yeah, thanks Sam," she yawned again. "Chris is going to be a nutcase with me getting home so late.

Andy immediately noticed Sam's face shut down and become impassive as his posture stiffened. Regret immediately flooded Andy as she realized just how that sounded. She did feel bad about bringing Chris up so much, but he had become such an integral part of her life since her break up with Luke. One really couldn't talk about Andy without including Chris or vice versa. Chris was the cloud over Sam and Andy's friendship, the only problem was that Andy wasn't completely sure of the reason. At least, she wasn't willing to admit the reason.

The ride had been mostly silent with both of them lost in their own thoughts. Sam was contemplating how get Andy to talk to him while trying to temper his own anger at once again being left behind for someone else who wasn't going to make it the long haul. Andy was struggling with Sam's anger and her own insecurities about the op. Neither knew how to resolve the tension and hesitation that had taken over their friendship.

When Sam parked the truck on the curb outside of Chris's apartment, Andy was still lost in her thoughts. He looked over at her and cleared his throat before he spoke.

"I wish you had come to me when he put you under," Sam's voice was quiet, almost small. He waited for her to look at him before he continued. "I could have helped you, not that it seems you needed it, but it's still my job to prepare you. To make sure you go in as prepared as you can be. No doubts."

Andy merely looked at Sam and then felt her nonchalant face slip a bit. She looked down, not feeling quite up to meet his eyes.

"You're not my TO any more Sam," she said not unfeelingly. "I want to be the kind of cop you can be proud to serve with, not the rookie always needing your guidance."

Sam sucked in a breath, but refused to take his eyes off of her. There was a seriousness about him that striped away all discomfort and tension.

"I already am proud of the cop you are McNally," Sam's voice was fervent, his eyes fixed on hers, willing her to believe him. "I have complete faith in you, but I'm still your partner, I still want to be there to have your back. We're a team."

"Sam-" Andy's voice faltered as she looked at him. She looked away to regain her composure and then back at him. "I couldn't come to you this time. Too much was at stake." Andy felt herself getting emotional as she begin to stammer, " I – I couldn't do that you again. I just couldn't be-"

"You couldn't do what," Sam asked clearly not having a clue where this conversation was going. "What was at stake here? Why couldn't you come to me? You can always come to me."

Andy felt Sam's agitation and worry acutely. As he hurriedly rambled off his questions and finished with a sincere reassurance, Andy felt the guilt again. She didn't know if she could not tell Sam at this point. Just as she was about to speak, some rapped on the window of Sam's truck three times nearly causing Andy to jump out of her skin as she spun towards the noise.

She saw Chris's worried face peering in the window before reaching for the button that rolled the window down.

"Chris what are you doing?"

He looked in at Sam and nodded before resting his eyes on Andy. "I was worried. It's the middle of the night Andy and you stopped answering my calls and texts like four hours ago. Is everything okay?"

Andy looked from Chris towards Sam and then back again. "Yea Chris, everything is fine. We just had a lot to go over tonight. Sam is on the case now so he said he'd take me home, so I didn't break our deal about no cabs alone at night."

Sam watched the exchange between the rookies with a detached sense of unease. There was clearly affection between the two of them and a closer relationship than just friends, but Sam was unwilling to ask just how close that relationship was. At the moment, he was acutely aware of how uncomfortable being the third wheel in this relationship was. It was also semi-new to him where Andy was concerned. Even with Luke, Sam never felt like he was the outsider with her, until now with Diaz.

Noticing that he missed part of the exchange between the rookies, Sam tried to shake himself from his thoughts and pay attention to what was going on. Andy reached for her bag and sent a small smile his way as she thanked him for the ride. Sam tried to cringed as he watched Diaz take Andy's bag from her as she slid out of the truck and shut the door.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow McNally," Sam said looking at her through the open window of the truck. He allowed himself to smile at the little upturn of her lips as her face warmed up as she looked at him.

"It's earlier than usual Sam," she said as her smile got bigger. "Like way earlier, an hour earlier than I'd have to be at parade."

Sam's dimples made an appearance as he smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow. She knew that it was him calling her out for audacity to doubt that he would actually be late.

"See you in the morning McNally. Diaz," he nodded, putting the truck in gear as Chris put his arm around Andy in and herded her towards the house.

O o O o O o O o O

Andy had actually awoken before her alarm that morning. In fact, she had barely slept the entire night, or at least the few hours that made up the rest of her night after Sam had dropped her off. Whenever Andy had to be up early or had something important to do, she could never sleep the night before, always waking every few hours, or having too much adrenaline in her system to ever fall asleep to begin with. Last night had been no exception.

Andy snuck quietly through the house trying to avoid the floor boards that squeaked as she made her way towards the kitchen. She was surprised to already smell the aroma of coffee brewing because she knew for a fact that Chris was still out cold snoring softly in his bed. Andy smiled at the note taped to the coffee pot.

Enjoy the coffee. Take one for Sam too, it's God-awfully early.

It's going to rain. Your umbrella is by the door.

~ Chris

Andy ran her fingers over the note smiling again and poured two coffees into the travel mugs that Chris had left beside the coffee pot. After fixing Sam's coffee, she turned to make hers and then headed towards the door. Despite knowing that Chris had left her umbrella by the door, Andy still smiled as she picked it and her bag up and headed out the door. Making sure the door locked behind her, Andy was just about to sit on the steps when she looked up and saw Sam's truck already parked at the curb.

Sam was already out of the truck and heading up the small sidewalk eyeing Dale's (Chris's neighbor) yard with a disapproving look on his face. Dale was avid partier and not much of a landscaper and it definitely showed in the little unruly and slightly littered yard that he had. Andy had to restrain herself daily not to go and clean it up for him.

Sam took her bag from her with a quiet good morning. Andy knew that he was resisting the urge to tease her about her preppy attire. She felt her mood sour a bit at Sam's amusement.

"I'm supposed to be a pre-school teacher you know," she sniped at him as he settled into his seat and put the truck into gear. Andy felt irrational annoyance swell in her breast as he looked her up and down and then smirked again.

"Did you pack your lunch in a brown paper bag too," Sam asked. By now his dimples were on full display as he clearly found his teasing amusing this morning. Sam knew that Andy was grumpy this morning, and goading her when she was grumpy was a thrilling combination of danger and amusement.

"Do you want the coffee I made you," she asked moodily. For extra emphasis

"Aww, McNally you shouldn't have," he continued to tease clearly finding his antics amusing.

"I didn't," Andy retorted. "Chris did. I just put it in the cup and brought it to you like he told me to."

Andy knew it was childish, but she was feeling slightly better when Sam grumped at her and thanked her and Chris by extension. Maybe he is right about something, she thought to herself as she sipped her coffee with a smile. Getting under your partner's skin is actually amusing.

Sam had navigated his way across the city to the alley behind he cover apartment and parked the car. He watched Andy set her cup in the holder and ready herself to get out. Looking at her, he decided to just get what he was thinking out there.

"Look McNally," he said looking at her earnestly. "We've got to finish that conversation that Diaz interrupted, but first," he paused looking at her. "You've got to get this job done. Get through your day, get to that diner. Listen to Brennan, reveal little, and-"

"Trust my gut," she cut him off looking at him.

Andy wasn't sure how long they looked at each other before she decided to speak again. "I'm glad you're going to be listening in. It gives me a little more courage."

Sam smiled a bit at her before turning serious again. "Don't be too courageous. I'd like my partner back in one piece. Soon," he added quietly as handed her bag to her. Seeing her nod, Sam nodded and told her to enjoy her day finger painting and thought better than to add another teasing comment. He watched her go into the apartment building where she'd meet Boyd with a mixed emotion.

Later, was his only thought.

O o O o O o O

The day had gone by agonizingly slow for Andy. Every shriek or loud noise had her on edge and she couldn't count the number of times she had glanced at the clock or out the window nervously. When Maggie Brennan showed up to pick Gracie up, Andy's anxiety seemed to magnify.

Maggie Brennan was as friendly and cheery as ever as she chatted away about meeting Andy or Gabby or Candace, whoever she was supposed to be, for dinner that evening. She even went so far as to offer Andy a ride to the diner. After Andy's refusal, she did have to work another hour and half until five, Maggie Brennan gave up and said goodbye with a promise to see her later.

Andy decided it was best to simply take a cab to the meet with the Brennan's to save time and her anxiety from feeling watched on the bus. She got out a block before the little diner and smiled when she saw the vans on parked along the street. The diner was located in a business district which meant lots of vans for different companies were parked all over. The surveillance van was lost amongst them, even to her.

A wave of calm washed over her as she felt like she was being watched. Andy slipped her ear piece in her ear under the guise of fixing her earing and continued down the block. She had noticed someone following her and needed to get a message to the team.

Pausing to check out the sign on a consignment shop a couple doors down, Andy paused to see if she could get a glimpse of the man as she reached for her cover phone flipping the switch to turn the microphone on.

"I see him McNally," Sam's calm voice said in her ear. "One of Brennan's security guys. You're clear to go in. They aren't there yet, probably waiting for you."

Andy turned and proceeded to the diner and settled at a table that could easily accommodate a high chair and three adults.

"Ms. O'Farrell," Jaime Brennan spoke nearly making her jump. He was pulling a chair out for Maggie and holding Gracie in his arms. "I'm glad you made it."

"Curiosity Mr. Brennan," Andy said trying to get her heart rate under control. "One of my many faults I've been told."

To her surprise, Jamie Brennan actually laughed at her with a good natured smile that belied a sense of humor that Andy might have admired at another time. She was having a hard time reconciling this seemingly very good natured man with the brutal torturer and murder that was in the files that Boyd and she had gone over. While Andy didn't put it past Boyd to elaborate the severity of someone's crimes, or even outright lie to her, Sam's caution and worry over her coming into contact with Brennan gave Andy pause.

After ordering, Brennan sat looking at Andy for a moment. He was sizing her up, deciding how to begin she thought to herself.

"Do you know what the name Brennan means Ms. O'Farrell?"

Andy felt herself blink rapidly trying to understand the nature of his question. She watched Brennan search her face for a flicker of recognition, but finding none he continued simply. "It means sorrow. Now that was what my life was like befor my wife and daughter came into my life, but now not so much. I was lost, incomplete. But I don't forget the sorrow that was my life."

Andy looked up at him expectantly. She was oddly mesmorized by this man and his seemingly effortless ability to both terrify her put her at ease. He excluded danger and power, yet there was this underlying feeling of living by a code. She almost allowed herself to snort as she thought of Sam and how similar these men could be.

"O'Farrell means the descendent of the man of valor," Brennan spoke again meeting her eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. "It seems to fit you," he paused, looking thoughtful, "Knowing how fitting your last name is, why would you want to change it Candace?"

Andy looked down at the table, she fiddled with the wrapper on her straw a bit and then looked back up at Brennan. Keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible.

"I lost my mom at fourteen," she said in a low voice and then shrugged. "My dad couldn't take it, started abusing the bottle. He tried to be a good dad, but eventually he just couldn't make himself notice me." Andy fidgeted a bit more in her seat. She hated saying this about her dad. Even if she felt this way as a teenager, she didn't feel that way now.

"I guess, I looked too much like her and he couldn't take it. He just kept drinking more. Eventually, I got tired of trying to get his attention so I started acting out. Fell into the wrong crowd, got mixed up with a bad boyfriend. He wouldn't let me escape, so I ran. He found me the first few times, so I had to try to get a little farther away. Toronto is a long way from Wisconsin and he never knew my mother, so I guess, it made sense that I took a name that meant something to me. I started over. I survived."

"Good girl McNally," Sam said. His voice was full of wonder and pride at her story.

"What about your father," Maggie Brennan asked.

"He's in a program, but doesn't want to deal with the guilt of seeing me. No siblings, so I'm on my own."

"And so you became Gabriella Scott," Brennan interjected. "A name laced with meaning and emotions."

"Not to be rude Mr. Brennan, Mrs. Brennan," Andy began. "But what do the meanings of names or why I decided to change mine have to do with why you asked me here?"

Brennan looked at her with a continued look of amusement on his face before he turned serious. "I told you before Candace that I worked for some very dangerous people." He waited and watched as Andy nodded and looked over at his wife before settling her eyes on him again.

"Mr. Rourke works for my former employer, and unfortunately violated an agreement that was made to stay away from my family by approaching you. I'm worried he may try to coerce you into giving him information that could endanger my family."

"Be calm Andy," Sam's voice chanted lowly in her ear. "Be clam."

"Mr. Brennan, I-" Andy stammered, feeling anxious. "I would never divulge information about your family. I only know that you have a sweet little girl," Andy looked down and smiled at Gracie before continuing with conviction, "and that you and your wife enjoy your privacy. What incentive would I have for giving out information about your family, better yet, what could I actually know? I'm just a pre-school teacher."

Brennan was quiet for a second and then leaned back in his chair meeting her eye. "You're an honest one Candace, I like that. More importantly, Gracie and Maggie like you. That's why it would trouble me and Maggie if my former employers were to use less than friendly tactics in an attempt to get information from you."

Andy leaned back in her chair stunned for a bit. She wasn't sure if should feel threatened or relieved at Brennan's words. She was saved from too much over thinking by Maggie Brennan.

"Candace, Maggie adores you," she stated smiling warmly at her daughter. "We know you don't make that much at your job or that there is any to guarantee that my husband's former employer will go away."

Andy felt herself nod, before getting the courage to ask a question. "So, what you're saying is that I should quit my job and get out of Toronto?"

"Exactly Candace," Brennan spoke casually.

"I can't do that Mr. Brennan," she replied somewhat indignantly. "I have a job, bills, a life."

"I didn't mean that you should go far Candace," he replied easily. Andy wasn't sure what to make of his clam demeanor or his wife's cheeriness.

"We'd like to offer you a job Candace," he leaned forward allowing his elbows to rest on the table. "It seems that if my former employer cannot respect our wish to stay away from my family, that keep Gracie at home is best until she needs to go to school."

"I don't understand Mr. Brennan," Andy replied a bit more cautiously than she would have liked.

"We'd like to offer you a position as Gracie's nanny. It'd be a bump in pay," he spoke to her as his demeanor got a bit more seriously. "You'd come to live with us in our house. We live in a gated community just outside of the city."

Andy looked at him and then at Maggie Brennan in stunned silence. Whatever she had thought her meeting would turn out to be today, this was not it. If Sam had tried to say something to her at that moment, Andy was pretty sure that she never would have heard him.

"I- I, um, I need some time to think about this," Andy stammered.

"Of course Candace," he replied smiling at his wife. "We wouldn't expect anything less. Just don't think too much. You look like an over thinker. That will take you to some mighty unpleasant places."

Andy didn't know how, but she made it through the dinner with the Brennan's despite her inner turmoil. Leaving the restaurant, Andy passed what she was sure was the surveillance van as she switched off her microphone and dug out her ear piece. She was pretty sure that she had just gotten herself a deep cover assignment.

Sam was going to go berserk on her.

O o O o O o O o O

Thanks for sticking with me. Just when you probably thought this UC was going to be mundane There is a master plan!