A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews, keep them coming! The more I get the faster I want to update, LOL, also fair warning that SOONish this story will go up to M. :0)

Dis: Don't own Rookie Blue

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Andy jackhammered up in bed, hands on her throat and eyes wide open. A silent scream was on her lips as tears threatened to fall. Her chest heaving she swung her legs over to the side and ran her hands through her hair while she tried to calm her breathing. It'd been a dream, a very vivid dream where she was back in that storage locker with Nixon's hands on her throat. Before awakening he'd been squeezing the life out of her, her mouth taped but her eyes wide open as they stared into his blackened ones. This time? Luke didn't come, and she'd succumbed to the darkness.

The tears finally fell and suddenly Andy felt like the walls were closing in. In an almost panic she got to her feet and ran to the spare room meant for storage where her bag was and she pulled off her tank top to put on a sports bra then put the tank top back on. She replaced her pajama shorts with jogging pants and slipped on socks and her shoes at the door after putting her hair up.

In the need to get out she didn't bring her phone, mp3, nothing. She didn't stretch she just took off and ran, tears slightly blurring her vision. She had no idea what time it was and didn't care. All that she wanted now was escape. Escape from the pain in her heart as well as in her head. She'd been betrayed by the man she thought she wanted to marry in the worst way possible. Not only that but everyone knew and she was humiliated. She tried to be happy, even had a small breakthrough the other day, but that dream brought it all back. Luke's betrayal, as well as Sam's.

Turning off her mind she ran until she couldn't run anymore. She turned the corner and finally collapsed onto the lawn, sobs wracking her burning chest and legs numb from the reckless sprint she kept them going on. She couldn't move if she even wanted to and just sat up and rested her forehead on her knees. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but it wasn't until the flashing red and blue lights caught her attention that she looked up. There, in the driver's seat, was a surprised Noelle and in the passenger's was Dov.

"Great," muttered Andy, rubbing her eyes and standing as Noelle got out of the car.

"We're responding to a complaint that someone was trespassing on private property," said Noelle sternly, hands on hips and eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry. Really! I just lost track of time. I went for a run and…"

"Are you ok?" asked Dov, taking in her tearstained cheeks and disheveled appearance.

"I was just letting off some steam, no biggie."

"Officer Epstein?" Noelle gestured to the door of a home, the same home that resided on the lawn Andy had been sitting on. "Let them know it was just a jogger that ran too hard, too long, and needed a rest. To not worry, that we're giving her a ride."

"But I-"

Noelle cut him off. "Are you thinking I'm giving you a choice? Go!"

Dov nodded and took off, leaving the females alone. Noelle tilted her head to the side, studying her before she spoke.

"Talk to me Andy." Very rarely did Noelle call Andy by her first name. "What's eating you?"

"Don't tell anyone. I don't want them to worry." Andy looked over her shoulder to see Dov speaking to an elderly woman barely able to hold onto the Pomeranian that wanted to take a nip at him. "I had a dream. A bad one. I was just… running."

"Nixon?" asked Noelle knowingly.

Andy nodded, rubbing her eyes. A growl had both women looking up in time to see the dog finally try to jump out of its owners arms, aiming for Dov's hands. He stepped back, pointed a finger at the woman, and ordered her to control her dog. Noelle rolled her eyes before focusing back on Andy.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm fine," insisted Andy, using her popular phrase.

"Clearly, you're not." Noelle sighed, hands on her hips. "What do you need, McNally? A ride back to Nash's?"

"I…" Andy suddenly had a thought. "No. I… could you give me a ride to Sam's?"

Noelle had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting. Oh she WOULD give Andy a ride to Sam's and help push this little bet along. When she saw the new fire in Andy's eyes, she gave slight pause. That wasn't the lusty, get down and dirty, fire. It was the kind of fire that wanted to fry something. Then again, angry sex would still count, and she'd be fifty bucks richer.

"Sure. Why?"

"I need to ask him something," said Andy, a stubborn set to her jaw.

"About?"

"Everything," whispered Andy. "Please? I'll walk if I have to."

Noelle shook her head and gestured to the passenger side. "Get in. Epstein has been driving me up the wall. He can ride in the back for a while. It'll make these next couple hours bearable remembering the look on his face when I tell him he gets the back."

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Dov had been pretty pissed about being put in the back and complained the whole way to Sam's insisting that they weren't chauffeurs and at the very least it should've been Andy in the back. It took Noelle's threat of telling Best he'd been uncooperative during shift to shut him up. When pulling up to Sam's, Dov was pouting with his arms crossed over his chest and Andy did feel a small smile forming at seeing that. She got out of the car and Noelle followed.

"McNally!" Andy stopped, back to Noelle, but listening. "Be easy on him. He was hurting at the time, still is now over leaving you behind."

Andy turned. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know," said Noelle. "He talked to me about it. Leaving you and letting personal feelings get the best of him. He hated himself. He's had it rough since…" Noelle paused for dramatic effect. "The engagement."

Andy's eyes widened. "B-but he made it clear. We had a clean slate and agreed that we were just partners, and half the time he hates me!"

"Trust me when I say that the one emotion he doesn't feel for you is hate." Noelle went back to the driver's side. "Oh, and McNally? You didn't hear anything about this from me."

Andy nodded as Noelle opened her door. "Aren't you going to let him out of the back?"

"Maybe." Noelle grinned. "We'll see."

"Noelle?" Andy smiled. "Thanks."

Noelle nodded, then got in and drove off, leaving Andy alone. Sighing, she felt some of the fight as well as courage drain out of her. She took the familiar walk up his steps and hesitated at the door. The sun was coming up soon, the sky was already lightening.

Right now she wished she had her cellphone and could call him to open the door instead of having to pound on it at… what time was it anyway? Huffing, she raised her hand and knocked. She looked around and saw a doorbell and rang that as well until she heard grumbling as well as footsteps coming to the door. Then it opened.

"-the hell knocking at four-McNally?"

"We need to talk."

"Uh. Ok?" He stepped back, holding the door open for her. She rushed in, wringing her hands as he closed and locked the door behind her. He came into the living room where she was now pacing and he crossed his arms over his bare chest and leaned up against the doorway. "McNally?" She still paced. "Andy!"

She stopped, her wide eyes meeting his. Something inside of him wanted to crawl out and pummel the hell out of whomever it was that hurt her.

"I'm mad at you. No, mad is too nice of a word. I'm PISSED."

Self-mutilation it is!

"Ok?" He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. He was so tired, and wasn't supposed to be up for another two hours. "And you have to tell me now at-"

"You left me!" she shouted, making him still. "You left me alone, Sam. Just like everyone else and I thought, I don't know? That you were the one person that wouldn't!"

"Andy…"

"No. No! Let me talk!" Her ponytail came loose as she ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes were filled with tears and it took everything in him to not grab a hold of her. "I told you how I felt about Nixon and you took it as me wanting to be back with Luke, or something, instead of me being a cop and having a gut instinct. Isn't that what you always tell me? To follow my gut? And the one time I do… you leave me."

"I know." He closed his eyes, because he couldn't look at her anymore. "I know."

"I could've died."

"Damn it I know!" he yelled, making a fist and slamming the side of it into his wall. It didn't leave a dent, thankfully, but it still hurt. "Don't you think I want to take that day back? To be there with you so that…" He cut himself off. "I was a total asshole and I hated myself for it when I heard you got hurt."

"I felt betrayed. Still do. Don't know what hurt worse, losing Luke to Jo or not having my partner trust me. Not having YOU trust me."

This time he did move. Ignoring the pain in his hand he gripped both of her shoulders, rubbing them as she looked up into his eyes.

"Andy…"

"I had a dream tonight. The first. I was back there, and he was strangling me. My eyes were open and staring into his as he killed me."

"Fuck," he cursed, finally pulling her in and she rested her head on his shoulder, the tears already starting to flow again.

"When I heard that storage locker open I thought it was you at first. That you'd changed your mind and came back to me, trusting what I thought…"

"Andy I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry… I know there's nothing I can do to change what happened. The only thing I can do is promise that from here on out, no matter what, I am going to trust you. I'll have your back no matter what the situation is. I know I have a lot of make up for…"

"Just trust me, Sam. Trust I'm a good cop."

"I trust you McNally. I trust you with my life."

They stood like that for a while, his arms around her body and her head resting on his shoulder. He didn't care that her waterworks were all over his chest and she found his heat and consoling words relaxing.

"Got a couple hours before I head to work, want to try and sleep some more?"

"Sam Swarek, are you trying to get me in bed?" mumbled Andy against his neck, making him stiffen, then laugh uneasily.

"No. I mean. Well technically yes. But not together. I have a spare room. Upstairs." He was totally rambling! "Sleep some, I'll wake you and we can ride in together and you can take the truck to go apartment hunting, if you still want to."

"I do but…" She pulled back, her vulnerable eyes meeting his. "I don't think I can be alone right now can… can I sleep with you?" His eyes flashed. He was startled as well as… hopeful? For what? Then what Noelle said came back to her and hit her like a ton of bricks. "Just sleep!" She added that with a somewhat squeaky voice. "Please? I don't want to be, CAN'T be, alone."

"Yeah," he said, rubbing her back before leading her down the familiar path toward his room. She pulled off her shoes and socks as he did his best to straighten his covers and she slid in first then him. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, unsure of what to do until Andy reached over, grabbed his right arm by the wrist, and pulled until it was resting over her waist. He secured his hold on her, arm tightening lightly as he rested his head on the same pillow as her. This was…nice. Very…intimate. He could totally do this without falling in love with her all over again.

She linked her fingers with his.

He was toast.

"Thanks, Sam," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Anything for you," he said softly, unable to fall back asleep, content to stay awake and hold her.

Protect her.

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Andy was slowly awakened by someone shaking her shoulder and saying her name. Groaning, she turned onto her back, smacking her lips while trying to ignore whoever was speaking to her. She heard a chuckle when she tried swatting the hand away and that made her open her eyes, her gaze connecting with Sam's.

"Sam?" The night then caught up with her and she groaned. "Ugh… God."

"Wakey-wakey." He held up a mug of coffee. "I come bearing gifts."

Andy sat up, grabbed the mug of piping hot coffee, and moaned when the first taste hit her tongue. It was perfect. She took a couple more sips, sitting cross-legged on Sam's bed, before looking up at him. He'd showered, changed into jeans, a white thermal, and a grey t-shirt over that. The thermal was pulled up to his elbows and Andy had to take another sip of coffee to distract her from looking at the muscles of his arms.

"Thanks. What time is it?"

"Six-thirty. Gotta leave here in about ten minutes. Here." He tossed an Academy hoodie onto the bed. "It's kinda chilly out and you don't really have anything here so…"

"Thanks," said Andy. "For everything."

"No problem," he said, smiling. "I called Bert. His complex is three blocks down. Shady Pines is the name and he has a one-bedroom for six hundred but he owes me a favor, made some things happen for him, he's willing to bring it down. So long as you like the place, that is."

"What kind of things did you make happen?" she asked with a smile.

"Can't give away all my secrets, Andy, takes away the mystery."

Andy rolled her eyes, handed him her coffee, and then got out of bed. She pulled on his sweatshirt, her socks and shoes, then took a small amount of time looking for her hair tie before she ran to the bathroom. She grimaced when she saw her reflection in the mirror and splashed some cool water on it and did her best to make herself look presentable. Sam's shout of her making him late had her bolting from the bathroom and following him out the door. It was so… domestic. Her holding his coffee as he set his alarm and locked the door, getting into the truck together and riding in companionable silence, getting out of the truck once arriving at 15 and wishing him a good day before driving away.

"Was that…" started Oliver, a look of curiosity as well as defeat on his face.

"Yep."

"Did you?"

"What? No." At Oliver's disbelieving look Sam held up his hands. "No! I swear. She had a rough night and came over. Nothing happened."

"No bedroom time?"

"Uh…" Sam walked away.

"What was that? Sam?"

Oliver chased Sam into 15 while Noelle was walking out, a smile on her face as Oliver tried to discreetly get Sam's attention. Oliver was a man of his word and would let her know later on if she'd won. That or she'd beat it out of him until he broke. Until then, after a night of pushing 15's two most stubborn people together and having to hear a rookie claim she was being unprofessional by making him sit in the back for a while, she was ready for ten solid hours of sleep.

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TBC…

As always, reviews are appreciated!