"You broke my heart."

The world stopped for a heartbeat. Jo stared at him, her pulse pounded in her ears, so loudly she was certain he could hear it. "I wanted to come back," she said, taking a step towards him. "Every day."

"Why didn't you?" The raw pain in his familiar blue eyes was like a kick to her stomach.

"You were so angry," she dropped her gaze, unable to bear looking into his for another second, "I told myself you didn't want me."

Luke closed the distance between them in two long strides. "I never stopped wanting you."

She met his gaze, the tiny flutter of hope that had started when he told her he hadn't meant to propose to McNally stretched its wings and beat a little more boldly. And then his lips were on hers and she thought it might burst free of her chest and fly about the room.

His lips on hers, so familiar, so right. She slid her fingers through his short blond hair, holding him close, deepening the kiss.

o o o

"I am running off of four hours sleep, nine coffees and I just really wanna go say hi to Luke and sleep 'til Wednesday."

"Okay then, have a good night."

"Yeah, you too."

He watched her walk away, wishing, not for the first time, that he had the right to ask her what was keeping her up at night. She looked exhausted and today lack of attention had nearly cost them the sting.

He wondered if it had anything to do with Callaghan and the wedding. Just the thought of the wedding made his stomach churn unpleasantly. At least they hadn't set a date. It was stupid, he knew, but the longer they went without announcing a date and mailing out invitations, the easier it was to pretend she wasn't engaged. Pretend that he might be the kind of man who would be able to win her affections.

It was a lie, but it was one he was happy to believe as long as he could. The truth was a bitter pill to swallow. No need to face it until he absolutely had to.

o o o

"Luke?" Andy shut the door behind her and flipped the dead bolt. The house was eerily quiet

She hung her coat beside the door and made her way into the bedroom. "Luke?"

When he still didn't answer she swallowed a wave of panic. She could still see Luke lying on the floor, blood everywhere. She didn't think the image would ever leave. A rapid search of the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen came up empty. "Where the hell are you?" She muttered reaching for her cell phone.

Luke's number went straight to voicemail. "Hey Luke, It's me. I'm home, just wondering where you are. See you soon."

She tossed her phone on the kitchen counter and curled up on the couch. Exhaustion made her eyelids heavy, but she forced them open. She needed sleep, but first she needed to know Luke was alright. He hadn't been cleared for duty yet, so she knew he wasn't at work. Where he was, though was a complete mystery.

She flipped the TV on, hoping the noise and lights would keep her up. The local news was broadcasting the successful bust of a meth operation by the Toronto Police Service. She left the TV there.

What a day. First she and Traci had nearly blown the sting by letting their mark walk out the door. Then Dov standing on an IED and throwing them all into a panic. She was glad he was okay, but she could kill him for scaring them like that. And now Luke was AWOL.

The only bright spot in the day had been Lee. Such a sweet woman, stuck in her circumstances and too afraid or proud to ask for help. Andy could relate - maybe a little too strongly. But seeing Lee reach out to her daughter, and knowing Lee's daughter was coming to rescue her mom gave Andy hope.

She's meant what she said to Traci. Her mother was nothing like Lee. Her mother had walked out, started and new life, and never once looked back. Andy felt like she'd been trying to do the same for nearly a decade, but it was like running on a treadmill, no matter how hard or how fast she tried to go, she ended up exactly where she started. But maybe, just Maybe, Andy was like Lee. Maybe if she reached out her mother would come running, needing only the invitation. And maybe then she wouldn't feel so stuck.

The news broadcast ended and the channel flipped over to reruns of CSI, but Andy didn't notice. She was fast asleep.

It was the same as it always was. She stood at the front of a church, air cut short by a too tightly cinched corset, vision obscured by a white lace veil. She turned to look at Luke, handsome in a classic black tuxedo. She smiled at him, and reached for his hand. And then everything began to shift. The colours brightened into unreal clarity. Luke's blue eyes were piercing cerulean, the purple flowers seemed to glow, so brightly she had to look away, and then Luke was gone. In his place stood her mother, dressed in black from head to toe. The flecks of gold in her dark eyes shone like fire. She opened her mouth as if to speak and then, with a look of horror on her face, backed away. "I can't - I'm sorry-"

"Mom!" The word ripped itself free from Andy's throat.

But her mother had turned and was sprinting down the aisle.

Andy tried to follow. She was younger and taller, she should have had no trouble, but her feet wouldn't move. Her shoes were too tall and the aisle was endless. Before she was halfway up it, her mother was gone.

She reached the door at last, but there was no handle. She ran her hands over the smooth wooden surface, knowing with each seconds delay she was falling further and further behind her mother. Finally, the door gave way beneath her hands. She staggered forward, the floor gave in under her feet and there was an ominous click.

She looked down. Suddenly she wasn't in a wedding dress any longer. She was in uniform, and her black boots were standing on a pressure plate.

She screamed.

Andy jerked awake, heart pounding in her chest, breathing fast and heavy. It was dark outside and the only light in the apartment came from the flickering screen of the TV. There was a noise at the door and it took several seconds for her to identify it as a key in the lock. Luke was home.

o o o