A/N: Hey, guys! Hope this is a satisfactory chapter! I put so much effort into shuffling everything around to fit better, so I hope you guys like it. Just a warning, the rating has been changed, so if language or sexual situations are not your thing, read at your own discretion. Thanks, you guys are the best! As always, read, review, and enjoy!

It had been a good day. They might not be making any progress on the gang case, but at least it wasn't getting worse. And they had collected three low-level meth dealers that morning, and were interrogating them about the meth cookers they were getting their product from. Their numbers were up from the regular speed traps they'd been setting, and nothing seemed to be going wrong.
Frank stared out his window, satisfied with the day's work. Hopefully only fifteen more minutes and he'd be able to go home to his wife and their unborn child. Not that anyone knew that yet, but yeah, it was true.
"Sir?" Frank turned to see Nash with her head and upper body just inside his office door. "There's a problem." Of course there was.
"What's going on, Nash?" Clearly, his happiness was not made to last. Obviously, the universe just fed on his dissatisfaction. And he was dissatisfied when his team had to come to him to solve their problems. They were the best damn Division in Toronto. They didn't need him to babysit them. He just wanted to go home.
"Sir, you need to see this." He met Nash's gaze, but couldn't deny the seriousness in her gaze and her tone. Sighing, he pushed himself away from his window and followed her as she led him down the steps outside his office. He had no clue what could be bad enough to warrant his personal attention, but it was spoiling his good mood. As he entered the Parade room, he saw Dov, Chris, Gail, Oliver, Marlo, and Chloe all sitting, not standing like they did when they were relaxed. And all of them were wearing matching expressions of worry, fear, and tension. All matching Traci's.
Something was definitely not right.
"What the hell is going on?" Frank demanded. Their expressions and the somber silence filling the room was making him nervous, and all he wanted to do was go home and see his family.
"We've got a…situation," Dov said uneasily.
"I realize that, Epstein, now will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Silence continued to plague the room. "I swear to God, if one of you doesn't start telling me what the hell is happening that has you all worried, people are going to start losing jobs!"
"Andy was in a fire." Oliver lifted his head as the quiet words left his mouth.
"What?"
"Andy. She was in a fire undercover. Someone trapped her in a burning building. She's okay," Oliver rushed to explain at Frank's look of worry. "She's fine. But she saw things in the fire. Things you need to know about."
"So spit them out."
"They've been made, Frank," Marlo spoke up. "There were papers in there, saying that someone knows who Nick, Andy, and Sam are. Frank, we need to get them out of there."
"We need those papers before we do anything," Frank said, looking between all of them. "Where are they?"
"They kind of… burned," Gail said hesitantly. They all knew Frank wouldn't take well to having no physical evidence, but it was true. Andy, Nick, and Sam needed to be pulled before something serious happened to them.
"They burned? Do we have anyone else that saw them?"
"Well, um… no," Dov said. He held up his hand. "But Frank, this is the Micky Cobras. It's a gang. This isn't some street criminal we can pick up with a few extra guys. This is a gang that has a legitimate connection to the death of a cop."
"What do you think I should do, without solid evidence?" Frank shook his head. "I can't do a damn thing."
"Frank, we have to do something," Chris urged. "This is the lives of three of our best cops. We can't just leave them out there to be targeted."
"My hands are tied. But monitor the situation." Frank shook his head, backing out of the room. They were right about one thing: he might not be able to do anything, but something needed to be done.

"What do we know about these victims?" Oliver, Gail, Dov and Chris were left without anything to do the next morning. Another ten hour shift where none of them had been assigned to patrol. Chloe and Marlo were in car 1524, no doubt engaging in some quality irritated silence.
"We know nothing about the drug store victims. Just like the witnesses, their prints didn't pull up anything in the system. Both of them were squeaky clean." Gail looked over the sheet in front of her. "There was one weird thing, though."
"What's that?" Oliver turned to glance at her.
"Their pictures in the system. They don't look anything like the victims." Gail held out the comparison pictures of the victims with the pictures in the database. Dov, Chris, and Oliver looked them over.
Glancing between the two, Chris frowned. It was true, though they did resemble each other, but they weren't the same people. One of the victims had a larger, rounder nose than the picture they matched, and the other had a broader forehead than its counterpart. They were subtle differences , but all over the face and body, they added up to two people who were clearly not the two people photographed in the database.
"What does this mean?" Dov asked after finishing his own examination of the differences.
"The only thing i could think of was that they somehow managed to replace their fingerprints with someone else's that resembled them and had a squeaky clean record. I mean, besides the extensive knowledge of the city and the system and everything about it, but is that even possible? I mean, to replace your fingerprints with someone else's?" Gail glanced between the men, gauging their answers.
"I've heard of it happening, but it would require some serious technology. And someone to have a fingerprint you can graft as your own." Dov shook his head. "I can't imagine anyone would want to do this. You're literally wiping your individuality and existence off the face of the earth. Who does that?"
"Someone that wants to remain unseen." Oliver piped up ominously.
Chris, Dov and Gail exchanged creeped out and worried glances. "Okay, so let's say for argument's sake, that these guys did manage to replace their fingerprints successfully. What was the point? And who were they in real life?"
"Wait," Dov glanced back and forth between the sheets of paper spread out in front of them. "Chris, can you go grab me the files of the three murders we had last week?"
Chris nodded, frowning in confusion but leaving the room temporarily nonetheless.
"What are you thinking, Epstein?" Oliver looked over the younger officer contemplatively. Annoying as he was, the man had his moments, and it appeared this was about to be one of them.
Dov shook his head. "I don't want to say anything until I'm sure. But I think I might be able to link these murders to the three last week. And, if we're lucky, to the murder of Je- Detective Barber."
Oliver and Gail's eyes widened. They knew how big of a deal it was if they could manage to link everything together. It meant they could have a legitimate, solid case to work with. Chris returned to the room with three files. Dov tossed them on the table, opening them to the bio of the victim, spreading them out, he tapped them one by one and held his arms out in victory when he was done. Gail, Oliver, and Chris stared at him in utter confusion.
"What is it, Dov?" Chris flicked his eyes up to his longtime friend's.
"The two victims, even if they were false names, of the convenience store murders were Jerry Goldson and Jacob Tracey. And last week, the victims of the three individual murders were Andrew Johnson, Erin Samuels, and Nicholas Ferrin. Don't you see? Jerry, Traci, Andy, Sam, and Nick. Their sending a message with the names of the victims."
"But what about the replaced fingerprints? Wouldn't that mean they were part of the gang, not targets of it?" Gail looked up in confusion.
"Well, erasing their fingerprints could be a sign of wanting to hide from a gang, but it doesn't matter," Oliver reasoned. "If they wanted to send a message, it wouldn't matter who they killed. They'd find someone with the names Jerry and Traci, gang members or not, and use them to send the message."
"We've gotta tell Frank," Gail said at the same time as Dov said, "We've gotta tell Luke." Gail narrowed her eyes at him and stalked out of the room.
Chris glanced over at Dov. "Still no luck, huh?"
Dov shrugged. "She's a tricky one."

Frank knocked on the door that afternoon. Thoughts of guilt had been plaguing him all last night and all morning. Luke turned his head as the Staff Sergeant entered the office.
"Sergeant, what can I do for you?" Luke sat back, his hip resting against his desk and his hands in his pockets.
"I think we need to talk about the undercover operation," Frank said, entering farther and taking a seat in the chair in front of Luke. "You need to end it?"
Luke merely raised his eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"
"I can't do anything. But you can. You know about the fire, right?" Luke nodded. "You know about the things Andy said she saw inside the building?"
Luke shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"There were papers in that had to do with Jerry's murder, with all the murders really, with Sam and Nick and Andy, with undercover ops, with the gang. Papers on everything in there, all topped with a Post-it note saying 'You've been made'. And left for Andy to find before she was either rescued and intimidated to leave the case alone, or die before she could tell anyone about it."
Luke and Frank met each others' gazes. "i don't want my officers in there any longer." Luke and Frank continued to watch each other levelly for a moment, before a knock on the office door brought them out of their stares.
"Yes, Oliver, what is it?" The door opened wider and Oliver, Gail, Dov, and Chris all stepped into the room.
"We found the connection between the cases." He paused a moment to let the information sink in. "All of them."
"H-How?" Luke asked, shocked.
"It's the names of the victims," Gail stated, stepping forward slightly. "All of them had a first or last name of someone on the force. And the three bodies from last week… their marked for Sam, Nick, and Andy."
Frank turned back to look at Luke and shrugged. "Have a nice day, Mr. Callaghan." Luke and the officers watched him leave, unsure of his odd demeanor.
"You've gotta pull them out, Luke," Dav stepped up to Luke's desk as he circled it and sat down in his chair wearily.
"I know," Luke said. He waved his hand. "Out of my office. Keep looking and see if you can find anything else significant."
Dov nodded and he, Chris, Gail, and Oliver trouped out of his office. Luke picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Sam?" He said after the other man picked up on the third ring. "Pack your things. You guys are coming home. Tonight."

"Sarah, I don't know what to do!" Sam ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I love her. I know it now. I never stopped loving her."
"Sammy, you're kind of an idiot." His sister's soft voice floated through the phone to his ear. "Of course you're in love with her! Hell, Sammy, you were in love with her before you met her."
"So what do I do? Marlo's a good woman and she needs stability right now. I can't just… leave her."
"You need to do what's right for you, sweetie." She always managed to make him feel like everything wasn't as bad as it seemed. "She'll understand. Being her friend will give her some kind of stability, too. Plus, if you love Andy as much as I know you do, she'll know something is wrong already. She's probably been feeling it for a while now."
Sam closed his eyes. This might be one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "I'm gonna do it, Sarah. I'm gonna see if Andy will take me back."
"I proud of you, big brother." Sam could hear the smile in her voice. "For all you care about other people, you need to care about yourself just a little bit more. And I know Andy cares about you. To what extent, I'm not sure. That's for you to find out." A clattering sound could be heard through the phone. "Sammy, I gotta go, but good luck!"
The line went dead and Sam collapsed against the wall of the parking lot. A moment later, Marlo walked out of the building and smiled as she spotted him. Of course this had to happen now. "Hey. Wanna come back to my place for some beer and some… dessert?" Marlo raised her eyebrows and smiled.
Sam smiled tightly. "I wish. But, Marlo, we need to talk."
She paused a smiled a little fondly but sadly at him. "Ah. I knew this was coming." "No, Marlo, I don't think you did. It's just… I'm really sorry, but I can't help what I feel. And this just… isn't working for me anymore."
She nodded. "I know. You're still in love with Andy." He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "It's okay, you know. Like you said, you can't help what you feel. It isn't your fault you're still drawn to her. I'm just glad I got some time with you. You're a good man, Sam Swarek. Don't fuck that up by continuing to be a dick to her."
He opened his mouth angrily, but shut it softly when she simply arched a brow at him. "You noticed that, huh?"
"It was kind of hard not to. That's how I figured out you still had feelings for her. But I thought as long as you were angry with her I could have you to myself. I guess that anger finally wore off, huh?"
"Kind of." He tipped his head to the side and glanced at her. "How are you so okay with this?"
"I think I had so much time to watch it coming it's not really a shock now that it has."
Sam shook his head. "You're an amazing woman. I really wish it could have ended differently between us. I really wish I could love you the way I love her. It would be so much simpler that way."
She smiled and snickered softly. "No, it wouldn't. Because if it was simpler, if it was easy, it wouldn't be the same way you love her."
Sam smiled a bit. "Doesn't mean I can't wish it worked out that way." After a moment of silence, he slid his hands into his pockets. "So… where do we go from here?"
"I think… we stay friends," she said.
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"Hey, if it means I can get my anger at you out by kicking your ass at pool every once in a while, I'm okay with it."
He smiled. "I'm down. Friends it is."
"She doesn't know what she's missing." Marlo brushed past him, and he watched her back as she strode through the parking lot to her car.

Andy lay down on her apartment couch for the first time in weeks. It finally felt a little safe. Seeing as nothing had come of the death threats so far, Frank and Luke had determined it was safe for she, Nick, and Sam to go home.
"So what now?" Nick dropped the bags he'd been holding in his hands on the floor and set himself down on the opposite end of the couch from her.
"Now, we take a nice hot shower and sleep for about twenty hours." She rested her head back against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.
"No, I mean, what now… with us?" Her head snapped up and she stared at him in confusion.
"What do you mean with us?"
"Are we still together?"
"Why wouldn't we be?"
"I… guess I don't know."
"Good." She pushed herself off her end of the sofa and leaned over him, gently pressing her body into his. As soon as their lips touched, she sighed. He always felt so solid, so strong. He could make her feel safe, and everything with him was just… easy. Not the way it had been with Sam. There was none of the drama, none of the anger or the confusion. They could just be together, and everything felt okay.
After a few moments, Nick pushed himself up slowly, keeping their mouths connected and gently nudged her legs around his hips, settling her hips flush against his. He reclined back against the couch and let her straddle him, still keeping the kisses easy and soft. She soon shifted, seeking a deeper connection between their mouths, their chests, their hips. She wanted everything closer to him, but his firm grip on her thighs kept her from moving.
She pulled back, panting slightly. "Nick, have sex with me."
He almost laughed at her blunt proposition, but had the sense to keep the bark of amusement inside. Looking up into her eyes, he gently rubbed her cheekbone with his hand. "Are you sure?"
"We're finally alone. No new relationship, no gang to worry about, no Sam in the next room. Hell, yes, I'm sure." Looking into her eyes for only a moment more, Nick nodded sharply.
The next thing she knew, his mouth was hot on hers, his tongue deep and stroking against her own in a dance they had already perfected. Not long after that, her thighs tightened around his waist as he lifted her from the couch into his arms and tripped his way into the bedroom. Wanting to make the process easier, she brought her lips down to his neck pressing kisses, nibbles and licks against the warm, soft skin there and sucking lightly at his pulse as he dropped her down onto the mattress in her bedroom.
He groaned and rolled her under him as he wedged his hips up against her sex and made love to her mouth. She smiled as she felt him let go of the control he usually held over his more passionate emotions and enjoyed the wild ride she was sure he'd take her on. As long as they'd been forced to wait for this moment, they weren't in a hurry to finish. They spent long minutes kissing and nuzzling each other, both still fully clothed.
But they hit a point where both of them were gently rocking against each other and Andy wanted his skin against hers. She reached down and ran her fingertips across the hem of his tee shirt, softly pushing it up until he cooperated and lifted his arms so the material could pass over his head. He instantly bent down and took her mouth again, busying his hands with the buttons down the front of her shirt. She explored his bared upper body with her palms, tracing the ridges and contours of his defined abs, tight chest and bulging arms. She felt the light dusting of hair on his chest and followed it down his stomach to the button of his jeans, wishing she could follow it even further.
Finally her shirt was undone and the material slipped off her shoulders to be tossed somewhere on the floor with his tee shirt. He made quick work of her bra, deftly unhooking the clasp and flinging it behind him with a grin. She giggled at his amusement, but was cut short when his mouth suddenly drew the peak of her breast into his warm mouth. It had been a while since she'd had sex, and the feel of his velvety tongue against the hardened bud made her squirm in eagerness to feel that tongue elsewhere on her body where liquid heat gathered at each passing moment. He gave her nipple a slight nip with his teeth before wetly kissing his way across her chest and giving her other breast the same attention. He laved the tip with his tongue, glancing up at her to watch as her face changed in her pleasure.
After long minutes of worshipping her breasts, he began a slow move down her taut stomach, exploring the soft curves and toned muscle beneath, feeling the warm and silky flesh move as she squirmed under him. Finally he made it to the button of her pants and she nearly swooned in relief when he forwent the gentle care he'd taken with the removal of her shirt and nearly ripped her pants off her body, dragging her underwear down her legs with them. She moaned as he shifted her legs even wider open and draped her thighs over his shoulders so he could finally look at her smooth flesh. When she started to shift under his heated gaze, he smiled and leaned in to slowly drag his tongue up the dripping core of her. She arched her back sharply. She had to have been going through a dry spell, because there was no way she would have reacted that dramatically to so soft a touch of his tongue if she'd been experiencing all those feelings regularly.
She brought her hands down to shift through his hair, holding him against her, as if he had any desire to move away. Her tangy taste and warm body were all he needed at the moment, not caring if the Micky Cobras were out covering up the murder of Jerry at the moment. Not that they hadn't already done that, but… he mentally shook his head and eagerly went back to the task at hand, eating her up with his hungry mouth. She moaned and shifted restlessly as he nipped and licked, barely there, at her clit, but refused to take it fully into his mouth. It seemed, after a few minutes of that torture, of his alternating licking at her opening and teasing her clit, that she had finally had enough. She gently pushed his head back with her hand and stared down at him determinedly. "Nick, if you continue to refuse to give me what I want, I'm going to have to take care of it myself."
He grinned that gorgeous grin of his. "Yes, ma'am." He bent down suddenly and sucked her into his mouth, pulling softly and releasing her with a slight pop. She pushed at his head, urging him back to the bundle of nerves begging for his mouth and he couldn't help but smiling again. She was so greedy, and he was so ready to satisfy her. He continued to suck and lick at her clit, and gently pressed one finger inside her. A small moan of pleasure floated out of her mouth and he knew she was ready. He leaned over her fully, kissing up her neck to quell her sound of protest.
"Don't worry, honey, we're getting there," he smiled as he kissed her mouth softly. Leaning up on the bed to reach for the dresser, he pulled out a condom from the top drawer. He looked down at her as he began to open it up and watched her gently brush a hair out of her eyes. He was struck with a sudden sense of urgency, like this moment of perfectness he felt couldn't last. He ripped open the foil packet and rolled the condom down his hard length as quickly as he could. He hadn't even realized his pants had been opened, but they were halfway down his thighs and he kicked them fully off before settling fully between her thighs. "Last chance to say no."
She stared into his eyes and rocked her heat against him. "Does it feel like I'm going to say no?"
"No," he shook his head and smiled as he leaned down and kissed her one last time. He reached down and positioned himself at her entrance, feeling the warmth there radiating over the tip of his cock. Watching her eyes and the shifts in her face, he pushed inside slowly. He was bigger than she'd had in a while, though not quite as big as Sam, and her body welcomed the pressure eagerly. He stayed still inside her too long for her liking. "Nick? Move."
She didn't have to tell him twice. Pulling back, he dragged his hips forward again, enjoying her breathy moan. She brought his lips down to hers and joined their mouths as he joined their bodies over and over again, filling her with himself repeatedly. She pushed against his shoulder and squeezed his hips, trying to encourage him to go faster. He seemed to get the message pumping into her faster and harder, their breaths coming faster and harder, alternating with moans and groans of pleasure. Her body clenched around him, warning him of her impending climax. He rocked even harder into her, urging her on until she finally reached her orgasm, her mouth opening wide and a cry leaving her mouth as her muscles squeezed and shuddered around him. Her finish triggered his, and he felt himself exploding into the condom and grunting out her name as he hit his peak.
They collapsed together, gently settling into the mattresses. After a few short moments, he excused himself to the bathroom to take care of the condom and clean himself up. He settled himself back into bed beside her, bringing her into his side and falling into a relaxed sleep beside her.