A/N: Sorry I slowed down the momentum... but I had some things to sort out for the long term picture. So. This chapter I'm not too happy with but it all came pouring out relatively quickly and I had a hard time making changes. So that's gotta mean something. Sorry it's short.

Sam stayed late, as it turned out, to fix the pipe until he could turn the water back on - and it wasn't as easy as he expected it to be. Andy continued sitting on her bed, watching him, and when he'd pop up for a second to breathe or wipe his forehead, he'd catch her and she'd look away, embarrassed, nervous. He'd sighed and go back while Andy tried to figure out what to say to fill the silence, but never came up with anything.

Ruth came back to tell them the tea was getting cold. They chatted mindlessly with Ruth about the crib group and he was alright with the silences in between. It was how skittish Andy seemed that unnerved him. Eventually, Sam was able to stop thinking about what had transpired but couldn't yet wrap his head around the next step.

He tapped away at the side of his mug, shooting Andy a glance every once in a while, thinking he should have taken her out before now. They both knew what would've happened if Ruth hadn't come back. With a little perspective, it was easy to see how seedy it might come off. Twenty seven year old man sleeping with a college girl he'd never kissed before two hours ago. It bothered him, and he wish it bothered Andy a little more too, she mostly seemed uncertain of his reaction. But it was them - it wasn't premeditated. It was genuine and real and raw. He knew she knew that.

Ruth poured cup after cup of earl grey, keeping an important conversation between the two of them from happening. It wasn't too long after he spared that thought that she was exclaiming that it was creeping closer to dinner time, and since Sam skipped out on Sunday dinner, he ought to stay tonight.

He laughed a bit and nodded his head in concession, shooting Andy a look to make sure she seemed alright with it. She offered him a lopsided smile, before hiding it behind her cup.

"I'm going to go ahead and make this one myself, why don't you two go outside. Keep busy till it's ready." Ruth suggested, having gone and put an apron on.

"Sheppard's pie?" Sam asked, having been through this before. Secret recipe and all.

"Quite astute, Love. You two go outside now, shoo. No one in the kitchen till it's in the oven." She insisted, already walking over to the fridge.

Sam stretched to a stand, puffing his chest out to undo the tension in his muscles, then he extended his hands out to Andy, who was watching carefully, and pulled her up out of her seat.

She followed a couple of feet behind him till they were out on the porch. With the fan going in the kitchen, he knew they could have a completely private conversation, but the fact that Ruth was a shout away was enough for him to keep to one side of the porch swing, and let her decide where to sit.

She didn't fall onto its other side, but she wasn't exactly cuddling up to him either.

Once she had her legs folded under her and hugged one knee, she sighed and looked at him with surprisingly soft eyes.

"Tired?" He asked, as her eyes closed for three seconds or so.

"Mmm... only a little."

"We didn't even do any heavy lifting today, McNally."

Before she spoke, he knew her retort, so when it came, he was already scrubbing a hand over his face.

"You did some." She gave him a tired smile, free from any joking, and he found himself, extending one hand to place it on her cheek and stroke one thumb across it.

She stared at it at first, before leaning into it and sighed again.

It had heated up a little in the last day or so, but the evening had really cooled off and with the heat came a little bit of fog, rolling in before their eyes. It was turning into a crisp night so he pulled the blanket from the back of the swing, and wrapped it around their shoulders, with the excess covering their fronts.

"Think she knows?" She finally asked him nervously, obvious worry in the wrinkle her eyebrows became. "About what was happening?"

Sam chuckled, and nodded, meeting her eye easily. She groaned and her head fell back, while he pulled her legs over his lap to help draw her closer. His hand found her knee and his thumb fell into the dip there, rubbing gently while her head found rest against his shoulder.

"That's probably why she sent us out here." He suggested, looking out at the darkening sky. "So we could talk."

"Yeah, I guess we've got to do that."

There was an anxiety in her air now that the topic had arisen, all jokes aside, and Sam wondered if maybe she didn't want to explore what was between them.

He turned his head a little and pressed a small kiss to her forehead anyway, hoping.

"I really like you." He said quietly, noticing that she was fading even more now that she'd warmed up a little. "And I think we should go out, somewhere. Away from here."

She nodded against him, breathing in the fabric softener embedded in his shirt.

"I really like you too."

"Well that's good to hear. You probably shouldn't be inviting every handy man into your bed."

"Onto my bed."

"Yeah, onto." He agreed, smiling.

She coiled her arms around his closest bicep and hugged into him, finding his warmth comforting.

"How do I tell Ruth? I mean, isn't it going to be weird?"

"I think since she already seems to know, it'll be more of a formality." He shrugged.

At that she craned her neck to look up at him, confusion written all over her face.

"Do you think she really knows what happened?"

Sam cleared his throat and looked out at the dark front lawn, while she was still watching his face for a cue.

"She uh, I think she's known that something was going to happen between us before we did. We were talking a couple weeks back, and she said some stuff."

She hummed and turned back to how she was, comfortable against him.

"To you too, huh?" She laughed quietly.

"Yeah, she's about as subtle as a gun, that one."

That was the last thing either of them said for a little while and just sat there, hands intertwined, listening to the crickets and the wind filter through the chimes. The porch light flickered on when the last light from the sun behind the trees faded, and Sam adjusted his arm, pulling it out of her hold and putting it around her shoulders.

It was about a half an hour before Sam opened his eyes to realize that he'd fallen asleep briefly, and heard Andy's soft breaths deep and even beside him. He leaned his head back a little bit and smiled to himself a little as Andy adjusted herself in his hold. He pushed his feet off of the deck, letting the swing rock them gently back and forth.

It was half an hour after that, that Ruth poked her head out the door to see them curled up together, Andy asleep against his shoulder. She stood in the door and watched as Sam's hand moved up and down in light strokes, knuckles against her bare arm as the blanket slipped off her shoulder.

It wasn't until he moved to put the blanket back on Andy's shoulder that he noticed the silver haired woman standing in the doorway, watching them fondly.

"It's ready." She said quietly.

He nodded and watched as she left them again before glancing down at Andy.

Dinner was quieter but Andy was refreshed from her nap on the porch and Ruth made polite conversation, and watched the looks they passed back and forth until she couldn't stand the elephant in the room anymore.

"Alright, you two, let's cut the crap."

It surprised Andy a bit, and she looked up at her grandma with wide eyes and her mouth fell open a little. She then turned to Sam who was chuckling, amused by Ruth's sudden shortness.

"Gran, we just-"

"No, Darling, I know. And I know what was going on this afternoon. I assume you can figure out the new ground rules. Right?"

Andy felt her cheeks flush at the admittance of being caught, despite their hustle to hide it, and hid in her hands while Sam cleared his throat and tried to say something when Ruth cut him off.

"Just... not here, not under my roof. Alright?" Ruth asked, definitely seeking confirmation that they understood explicitly.

"Yes Gran." Andy said quickly and with a little too much attitude, just wanting it to be done.

"You got it." Sam muttered, wondering how he could possibly move them on from this topic.

"Good. Now I'm going upstairs to watch the news and then I'm going to bed. Goodnight, I'll see you both tomorrow. And Sam, drive safe." She said the last part pointedly, staring at Sam till he had to look away.

They waited until she was all the way out of the kitchen before looking at each other again, Andy still pushing her potatoes around her plate.

"Oh my God."

"That was not what I was expecting." Sam admitted, laughing as Andy burst, hiding behind her hands.

"What, you thought she'd just give us a blessing and pretend nothing happened?"

"Not exactly that, but yeah."

Andy kicked her chair back, a little, and grabbed her plate from the table, dropping it into the sink. Turning back she took hurried steps to Sam and grabbed his hand, continuing on her way while he stood and followed, unsure of where they were headed.

She opened the screen door again, but this time it was even colder, and he immediately rubbed his own arms as the cold bit his skin and goose bumps appeared.

She dropped his hand and made her way back over to the swing again sitting back and waiting to be joined.

"What's happening?"

"Come here." She said, patting the spot next to her as he took slow steps toward her. Sam sat down next to her, drumming his fingers against his thighs while she just stared at him, and he blew out a breath, waiting to be told what was going on.

A smile graced her lips while he stared at everything but her. She placed her hand on his chin, guiding him to her as she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

His hand moved to her neck, keeping Andy close, and then used the other to seat her like they'd been before Ruth called them in for dinner. Sam pulled her legs over his lap so she wouldn't have to lean so far, and placed one arm around her shoulders.

She pulled back, still smiling dopily, and her arms wound around Sam's neck.

"You cold?"

She nodded and he stretched to the side, grabbing the blanket that was hanging off of the swings edge.

"No, let's go sit in the truck."