Thank you so much for all of your awesome encouragements and feed back. I am bowled over by your responses to this story. I just got an email today about the Rookie Choice Awards, which I've seen have been talked about during my absence from writing. Thank you to whom ever nominated Bohemian Rhapsody (and Chris's character in this story). I'm stunned and more grateful than I can say even be nominated! Don't forget to check out the other, much more amazing stories that are nominated!

This is not my favorite chapter by far, but it serves its purpose. I think the next few are going to be a little tough on me... the good side... there are more chapters then I anticipated to this story, unless I make it a two parter. Not sure yet, but I know where I want this end.

One last rambling thought, is anyone else nervous about Sam and Andy's relationship? This last episode had me going between nearly crying and being irrationally angry that they were already setting us up for heart break. (sighs) Here's to hoping I'm not right!

Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Nikka

XXXXX

"What a beautiful day it is Ms. O'Farrell, wouldn't you say," he asked her clearly enjoying that he had spooked her as he watched her tense reaction.

Andy grabbed the swing chains tightly pulling Gracie towards her as she looked up at the three men. She noticed for the first time that despite the public setting, she and Gracie were relatively secluded from the other park goers and at the mercy of the three men in front of her. She swallowed thickly pulling Gracie out of the swing seat and clutched the child to her.

She looked down at Gracie who didn't seem perturbed about her play time being interrupted and then looked back at the three men at the edge of the grass in front of her. A wave of protectiveness hit her and for a moment, the feeling startled Andy. If this was even a fraction of what Sam felt every time she got into trouble, she owed him a huge apology. Andy looked at the men and knew that her anger was beginning to build and prayed silently for this to turn out well.

"Mr. Rourke," she began in clear yet firm voice. No need piss off the crazy mobster right? "I'm sorry, my employer wouldn't want me to speak with you, especially when a child is around."

Andy watched cautiously trying not to narrow her eyes at the men and keep her face impassive at the same time. She knew that it wasn't working out to well when Jimmy Rourke quirked his lips up into a little smirk.

Rourke made a show of looking around for something or someone before he smirked at her again. "I don't see Jamie here Ms. O'Farrell. So I guess I don't see the problem. I think you come and have a chat with me."

Gracie made a noise of discomfort in her arms causing Andy to look down at her and jostle the toddler in her arms to quiet her. Settling Gracie into a comfortable position in her arms, Andy reached up to tug her necklace and allow the little girl to play with her shiny piece of jewelry. She was silently thanking every type of god for the foresight to put the necklace on this morning. Andy prayed that she wouldn't be left alone too long before help arrived. She turned her full attention on the man in front of her and began talk to her way out of him thinking she could go with him.

O

"Sam you've got to let this go," Boyd said with a scowl on his face as he entered the small office that he had commandeered at the Fifteen Division. "He didn't jeopardize her. He was actually smart about it. I threatened his career. Hell, I'd say the situation was taken care of."

Sam followed in Boyd's wake and watched as he pulled out a chair to the desk he had made his own and couldn't help but scowl at him. They had been doing a lot of scowling at each other lately and Sam had asked himself on more than one occasion what exactly it was about Boyd that he had liked in the past.

"Look Diaz is a good kid," Sam muttered, still not believing that he was once again defending the man in Andy's life. "But how sure are you that he didn't jeopardize her? Brennan isn't someone who tolerates a lot, especially when his family is involved."

Boyd glanced up at him and then scratched his jaw. He was getting mightily tired of Sam Swarek second guessing his every action. He had run a lot of ops in his career, and Sam had been on many of them with him. They had, in a way, forged their careers together. Sam was simply too good at what he did to become a paper pusher, and as much as he hated it, Boyd had to trust the feeling in Sam's gut that something wasn't right. Brennan didn't even seem to be in the business, but there was something in his gut that told him the operation with McNally was going to be a way to finally hook Brennan for all of the crimes he'd committed and helped to be the bust of his career. Boyd had half a mind to chalk it up to professional jealousy, but he knew that Sammy wasn't that kind of guy.

Boyd actually felt like he had to admit a few things that he had come to realize lately to someone other than himself. "Sammy, the kid screwed up. But," he paused a moment looking at him. "Your girl didn't. She stayed calm. No one suspected a thing. She thought on her feet and no one is worse for the wear besides being a bit jumpy."

"I don't like," Sam grunted.

"You don't have to," Boyd dead panned. "You just have to trust me. Trust McNally. If she was in trouble, I would know."

"How? You haven't made contact in days." Sam's eyes were burning with curiosity as looked at Boyd across the room.

"Relax Sammy, I gave her a transmitter. She hasn't activated it, so, if my book that means we're all good."

Sam could feel the rage boil inside him. That was a surefire way to get someone caught, especially living with someone as suspicious as Jamie Brennan.

"You did what," Sam demanded trying to keep his temper under control. "Jamie Brennan is a suspicious bastard and you gave a transmitter! What if he finds it?"

While he was pissed at Boyd, he was also secretly grateful for his attempt to keep an eye on her. Thank God she has a way to let us know she's in trouble. That was thought that allowed him to calm down some as he missed the words that Boyd was saying to him. The next thought that hit him like a ton of bricks almost undid carefully constructed control. What if Brennan finds it and figures out that she's a cop? A feeling of nausea allowed him to continued blocking out Boyd's explanation until a beeping noise coming from Boyd's desk.

Sam watched curiously as Boyd stopped talking and his face paled. He reached down to yank his desk drawer open and picked up his phone. He pushed a button on his screen and then closed his eyes for a moment as if to think of his next move.

"Boyd," Sam asked cautiously, not in the least enjoying his reaction.

Boyd's eyes snapped open and looked at Sam with a slightly pained expression as the beeping continued. Feet pounding down the hallway could be heard, just before David burst through the door looking at Boyd when the phone in his hand. Several things happened at once. First, Boyd seemed to be knocked out of his statute like state and began issuing orders. David started dialing as he turned to hurry from the room. And Sam, while Sam stood stock still, eyes darting back and forth watching the goings on with some nervousness building.

Half way out of the door, Boyd noticed Sam still standing in the middle of the room trying to process exactly what was going on.

"Sam," his voice was almost a whisper. "It's McNally's transmitter. She's in trouble."

O

As Boyd navigated the car through the Toronto streets at a break neck pace, Sam replayed the last few minutes in his mind. Andy had activated her transmitter and then hadn't responded to Boyd's calls. As much as Sam wanted to believe that this was all a mistake, that Andy had accidentally set off her emergency device and then happened to have not been near here phone, he couldn't believe it himself.

Sliding his ear piece in and hearing the chatter, he closed his eyes briefly before pinching the bridge of his nose.

When he opened his eyes again, Sam was calmer, focused on the job at hand. An officer was in distress and he was part of the back up team. The most important thing that he could do right now was be focused and collected. McNally was smart and resourceful. That was what he kept chanting in his head as they raced across town to Hyde Park.

"Shuts the sirens down," he spoke brusquely on the radio. "Silent approach. No lights. We don't want to spook whoever has her."

Boyd looked over at him with a nod before muttering, "Twelve minutes."

Sam nodded back at him before telling everyone to slow down and separate. They knew from the locator on Boyd's phone that Andy was near the playground. Sam watched in the mirrors and the caravan of unmarked cars broke away from the pack and headed towards the play ground.

Before they left the car, both Boyd and Sam listened to the radio chatter as the other units got into position. Some had already headed out on foot. Sam scanned the area and looked over each woman in the park with a critical eye.

After a group of kids took off in what looked like a game of tag, Sam caught sight of her. Andy was holding a little blonde toddler in her arms and had a determined posture. Shit.

Before he could get out of the car, Boyd told him to stay. Noting Sam's glare, Boyd shook his head before turning back to Sam.

"Stay Swarek. It's not Brennan, and I don't want to make this worse. I'm supposed to be the boy friend. Let me try to sort this out. Otherwise move in and we're doing an extraction. You know what to look for it's your call."

Sam nodded knowing that Boyd's logic was sound. He heard the radio chatter affirming Boyd's hand off of command to him. He sat back and tried to watch the entire scene unfold. Boyd was about half way out of car when they both saw Andy recoil from a slap and nearly stumbled back with Gracie still in her arms.

"Son of a bitch," Boyd shouted and began to scramble out of the car.

"Stand down," Sam's voice echoed through the ear piece. It was devoid of any emotion, and so unlike stared to him with disbelief before catching Sam's nod in the direction of Andy.

They both watched in silence, Sam sitting in the passenger seat seething with rage, and Boyd stood stock still beside the car watching the scene before him, waiting for Sam's order. The radio was silent as the dozen or so eyes watched Jamie Brennan quickly approach the group near the swings and pull Andy and to face him as he patted his daughter's head.

O

Andy knew that being defiant probably wasn't in her best interest, but she was angry. Jimmy Rourke and his henchmen had had the audacity to confront her in broad daylight in on a children's playground and then demand her cooperation. Her mind raced as her senses sharpened with the flush of adrenaline coursing through her system. She took a deep breath and tried to adjust Gracie so that she was further back on her hip away from the men. Protocols were running through her head as she tried to figure out an exit strategy.

After her third denial to accompany Rourke and his men, she knew that getting out of this unscathed was probably not going to happen at this point. If someone asked what she found funny enough in this moment to laugh, Andy was damned sure she wouldn't even remember. All that she registered was that her indignant laugh has caused a swift change in Rourke's demeanor. A shadow crossed his features and his eyes narrowed at her dangerously.

Before there was any moment to react, he had already lunged at her, slapping her so hard across the face she nearly dropped Gracie in her arms when she stumbled back. While the hit seemed to happen in slow motion, time seemed to speed up when she began to stumble. Gracie's cries seemed to echo in her ears as the child clutched to her in fear and Andy whirled back around throwing her hand up to hold the bad of the toddlers head keeping her face away from Rourke.

When he nodded and his men took a step forward, Andy felt panic nearly swallow her whole. She thought about running, but knew that would be futile with Gracie, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Don't you think your boss would find it interesting to know that you personally broke a deal that he and I made," a dangerously calm, yet familiar voice interrupted the men's advance on her.

Andy jumped at the sound of the voice and turned her head to see Jamie Brennan approach with a blank look on his face. He paused next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder and patting Gracie's head. When his eyes met hers, Andy nearly gasped. For the first time since she had met Jamie Brennan, she was afraid of him. His clear blue eyes were cold and lifeless, and full of hatred. She wasn't looking at the Brennan she had become familiar with over the last few months, she was looking at Brennan the killer. A chill raced down her spine.

"So nice of you to join us Jaime," Rourke smirked looking their interaction between Brennan and his employee. "Awfully convenient don't you think, showing up here just in the nick of time."

When Brennan remained silent through Rourke's little speech, the man continued again. "Does Maggie know that you're screwing the nanny?"

Andy gasped looking startled at Rourke's assumption. She watched in disbelief as Brennan smiled at the man in front of him, and not just any smile, but a megawatt smile.

"I'd watch your words carefully right now Rourke," Brennan spoke in a cold voice. "I wouldn't give me another thing to report to your boss if I were you."

Brennan reached in his pocket for his cell phone and pressed a number on the key pad, a few seconds later, Brennan held the phone up and clicked it over to speaker phone. After three rings a man picked up.

"Jamie," a cautious voice spoke over the speaker. "What can I do for you?"

"It seems Mr. Rourke has violated our agreement and assaulted a my daughter's nanny in Hyde Park." Brennan smirked as Rourke and his men visibly shifted clearly uncomfortable.

"Is that so," the voice mused. "Can he hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Rourke spoke up in a voice that was nearly as confident as it had been when he had Andy cornered on her own.

"Report back to my office within the hour. We have to discuss some ground rules and expectations."

"Yes, sir," the man responded quietly clearly angry. His eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Brennan.

"Jamie, have a good day. I'll be in touch."

Brennan smirked and replied that he'd be waiting while Rourke and his men turned to stalk away. When they were a safe distance away, he tugged Gracie from Andy's arms before asking her if she was okay. As he ushered her back towards their respective cars, he made her catch him up on what had happened.

O

As he stalked back to his car, Jimmy Rourke couldn't help but let the anger of the moment boil up to the surface. He reached into his pocket and fished out his phone and searched for a number. When he found it, he dialed it and waited for someone to pick up.

"Jaimison," Rourke mused. "I need a favor. This will repay your debt."

O

Frank Best had listened as Boyd briefed him and the Superintendent on what had transpired today in Hyde Park. One of his officers had sent out a distress signal and still hadn't been pulled from her assignment. He had listened the information, reconciled the decision to not interfere with the decision, and hoped for the best. Boyd even went so far as to compliment McNally's resilience in the operation thus far.

Yet, none of that seemed to matter as proud of his officer as he was. No, Frank Best was watching his friend stand silently in the corner. Swarek may have commented on Boyd's report, and thrown in a few sentences of agreement or his views, but he remained mostly silent and impassive. So unlike Sam. His mind was engaged elsewhere and Frank wasn't sure how to help his friend. Not for the first time, Frank cursed McNally's eagerness to prove herself and his friend's ardent belief that she was ready and capable for this assignment. There would be no peace at 15 until this case was wrapped and McNally was back aggravating her partner and wrapping him around her finger.