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Chapter 21- Forever Isn't Long Enough.

It was close to sunrise by the Sam had wrapped everything up and could finally leave.

They left the barn yesterday just after lunch and only made it back a little before one am. After all the statements and processing it was four thirty and time to go home.

Most of the officers involved in the bust had left, like Nash; but Sam sent her off with one of the first suspects so that she could get home to her son.

Sam hadn't seen or heard from Andy since he left yesterday, but now that he was done with work he hoped to make up for it and get that answer.

Sam left the barn still riding the adrenaline from the bust, but it was soon replaced by nerves as soon as he pulled up onto Andy's street.

He stopped at home then at a diner to get her a coffee. Now it was time to wake her up and ask her to go somewhere with him.

Frank had given him the shift off and mumbled a "Go get her. By the way, she needs a day off too" and patting Sam's shoulder.

Sam knocked on her door and was taken back when it opened immediately to reveal a really tired looking Andy.

"Hi" she blushed and moved away so Sam could come in.

"Have you slept?" Sam asked handing her the coffee.

"Thank you". Andy took the coffee. "And no". Andy whirled away.

Suddenly Sam wanted her to get into bed and get some sleep.

"I couldn't..." She added shyly and turned the TV off.

Sam took one look at her and knew that she was too wired up to sleep now.

"Are you busy now?". Sam gave up on any ideas other than the one he arrived with.

Andy giggled like she found him funny. "Um, not really much to do at five in the morning".

"Will you come with me? Now?".

"Where to?".

"Just go get dressed".

She bounded out of the room and was back in ten minutes dressed to go.

How she did that and looked so good in so little time he'd never understand.

Sam ushered her out the door and to his truck, the air somewhat tense between them.

He drove for a short while, Andy not really feeling the need to say anything.

When he hit city limits, her interest peaked and she looked at him through her lashes wanting to ask where they were going, but she somehow managed not to.

When the silence continued Sam put the radio on and was happy to find Andy dozing off as she was lulled to sleep by the motion of the truck.

Sometime later Sam pulled over and switched the ignition off, Andy stirring slightly when the motion stopped.

She suddenly sat up straight when she realized that they had reached their destination and come to a complete standstill. She looked between the houses and Sam not really understanding where they were.

Without waiting any longer Sam got out and stopped outside her door waiting for her to untie herself from her seat belt.

She still hadn't figured out where they were, but soon enough the final thing left to show her would be complete.

Sam was tempted to take Andy's hand and lead her up the cobblestone driveway, but when she linked her own fingers together he gave up on that idea and just nodded towards the front door instead.

Sam reached the door and rang the doorbell, he knew that it was early, but it wasn't early enough to wake anyone up.

The door opened and Sam heard Andy almost choke where she stood next to him.

She knew exactly who the woman was.

"Sammy" Sarah said and looked towards Andy.

"You must be Andy, we sort of met once" Sarah smiled at Andy warmly.

"Um, I haven't told mom yet..." Sarah looked really uncomfortable standing there holding onto the door.

Sarah stepped aside and let them in, Andy suddenly looking a little lost.

She let Sam walk first and she followed, she had no idea where to go so it was safer to follow.

Sam stopped abruptly and Andy walked into him, a lopsided grin thrown her way over his shoulder as Sarah walked off.

"Why are we here?" Andy whispered looking a little flushed. She was totally out of her depth and it showed.

Sam didn't answer, perhaps because Sarah returned at that moment and nodded to the lounge.

Sam's hand brushed Andy's and she accepted his request to hold her hand. She had no idea if it was meant to steady himself or keep her grounded, but either was she didn't care. She missed holding his hand.

Sam took a few steps before stopping, a woman coming in to view. The second they entered the room and the woman looked up, a rush of emotion ran through Andy.

"Sammy?" The woman said and tried to peer at Andy over Sam's shoulder. Sam tugged on Andy's hand and she stepped out from behind him and sort of waved at the woman who's interest she captivated. "Are you really here?"

"Yes, I'm really here". Sam stepped forward and let go of Andy's hand so that he could bend down and hug the woman.

"Sarah said you were dead, but you were home". The woman looked confused, but Sam understood why. She hadn't been the only one.

It had been hard for him to suddenly be around her at home for the first few days when they used it as a safe house because he could tell how her mind was waging war with her.

"This is Andy" Sam said and turned to look at Andy who was now wide awake and really shy. She looked like the Andy he met, or rather for the first few seconds he'd seen her anyway.

"Is that so?" The woman stood up before closing the distance between herself and Andy as she wrapped her up in a hug.

When the woman pulled away she looked between Sam and Andy before saying "You'll make me beautiful grand-babies".

Sam let out a chuckle and Andy blushed.

The front door opened and Sam's niece and nephew raced inside followed by two more girls and a boy a little younger than them.

"Uncle Sammy?" Was heard being screeched suddenly, his niece had obviously not been told that he was still alive either.

The next half an hour was utter chaos as Sam was warmly embraced by his crying niece and really quiet nephew.

Sarah withdrew to the corner where Andy stood and and she hovered next to her silently even though she was smiling warmly.

When emotions calmed down, Sarah headed for the kitchen where she started on breakfast. Andy followed shyly and asked if she could help.

When Sam went looking for them, he found them in the kitchen a feeling of warmth suddenly running through him at the sight. It felt really good to see Andy in Sarah's kitchen.

"Need another set of hands?" Sam asked as he moved into the kitchen.

"Nope" Sarah said and Sam saw Andy swallow her giggle.

Andy's phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket before stepping out of the kitchen and saying "Hello Dad".

"She's cute" Sarah said as soon as Andy was gone.

"Just cute?".

"Nice too" Sarah said smiling. It had been a while since Sam brought anyone home.

"She's one of a kind" Sam said looking at Sarah honestly. She'd sum him up pretty easily.

"Wow" Sarah exclaimed and stopped beating the bowl of eggs. "Seriously?".

Sam was blushing, but he didn't care if Sarah knew his secret. It wasn't really a secret anyway.

"I already asked her" Sam mumbled.

"What?" Sarah was taken back at Sam's declaration. "And?". Then her face fell when she gathered that Andy might have said no. Sam knew that Sarah had checked Andy's hand already, but she wouldn't have found a ring there.

"It's still up in the air" Sam crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"Then you shouldn't wait...". Sarah started but Sam's face made her stop talking. "You'd still wait?".

Sam nodded. Sarah was watching him the way he watched others; the kind of look that told him that she was searching for answers. He was willingly giving them to her.

He'd wait for as long as it took.

Andy came back a short while after that and she helped Sarah finish breakfast before they all sat down around the dining room table and ate.

The kids cleared the table and did the dishes while Sarah made them coffee and they sat in the lounge. She involved Andy in conversation easily and Sam enjoyed watching them interact.

Sam didn't want to be rude, but he was starting to feel really tired and still needed to drive them home so he said goodbye and whisked Andy away.

Andy didn't take long to doze off again, Sam content to let her sleep while he drove them back home.

Waking Andy up, Sam smiled when she looked around to get her bearings.

"Here?" Andy looked between Sam and her condo. She seemed slightly confused as to why they were now here.

"You live here" Sam said biting the inside of his cheek.

"Yeah". Andy mumbled but didn't move. "Thank you, you know for taking me to meet them". Suddenly awake she seemed to remember the day and how they ended up here.

"And it wasn't torture" she added when she remembered what he once said.

"I'm glad you came". Was all that Sam could say. He had something else on his mind, but his lips just wouldn't let the words free.

"So, um... You know yesterday..." Andy's face showed tension and Sam knew that she was about to bring up their little 'incident' from Frank's office.

"Andy..." Sam wasn't prepared to listen to her let him down lightly. He'd rather just leave it hanging.

"One minute?" Andy held her finger up and let it rest on Sam's lips while she shifted around in her seat to face him.

"I'm sorry I was so cold when you came for me, it was just a lot to take in. You were dead, and I was imagining you, but you were really there. I was so scared that we weren't going to make it out of there alive, and I'd still end up losing you" Andy took a deep breath, it was like she was choking on emotion.

"Yeah, I screwed up before, I let you walk away and give up before I did the same and I'm sorry. I know that saying sorry won't undo it, but I am more sorry than you'll ever know"

Sam moved his lips to tell her to stop, but she just pressed her finger into his lips a little more. She wasn't done yet.

"In Frank's office, I didn't say anything because I wanted you to have time to think about it, to take it back if you wanted to. I wanted you to think about what you said, and what you were asking because that changes this and changes us. There isn't any taking that back, or sweeping that under the rug".

Sam was ready to... Bite her finger to get her to just stop. It was really great that she was sharing this, and being honest, but seriously? He didn't want to hear what she was saying, hear her say no.

Andy gave him a second to think, her words becoming silence. So Sam took the only gap he might have and leaned passed her to dig in the glove compartment in front of her knees.

She moved and reclaimed her finger giving Sam some space to move so he leaned forwards even more and opened the glove department before pulling out a white velvet box.

Andy's face showed him how unexpected this was.

"Haven't changed my mind" Sam said holding the box in the open palm of his hand.

"We're ready this time. I'm ready". Sam sighed it out, but it felt good to finally admit that to her.

"Before, we weren't ready for this. But, we've both grown up and we know what it's like without the other, so what you say McNally?"

"It's white" Andy blushed when she realized what she said.

"I know. It's new". Sam shook the box a little, trying to tempt her into admitting that she was out of excuses.

Andy's hand moved up towards his, just a fraction before she dropped it again and pinched her eyes closed.

Sam couldn't look away from her, not even if he tried to. His tongue froze and his breath caught somewhere between his lungs and his lips.

And he waited.

And still, Andy sat there frozen in time.

She dropped her head down, her hair sweeping forwards to cover most of her face.

And still, Sam was waiting.

"This is like, a permanent thing" Andy finally said looking up and at him.

"That's kind of the point" Sam said. His fingers wiggled a little trying to draw her attention to his hand. But it didn't move from his face, her eyes were locked there.

"Besides, you already said yes". Sam shrugged. It was a display of his cool, collected, calm nature although his insides were rattling.

"Oh yeah?".

"Yeah, totally". Sam saw her interest pick up with his playful teasing.

"When exactly?".

"When you jumped me at the barn, and when you let me hold your hand. And when you hugged my mom back. And when..."

"Okay, I get it" Andy giggled out as Sam's over exaggeration.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head to the side before smirking even more.

"Really?" Sam questioned while biting the inside of his cheek to stop his smile from taking over his face.

"Yes" Andy said it before thinking. And then Sam just smiled, he let it come naturally and she realized what she said.

"Not fair Swarek". Andy let her voice come out in a soft whisper as she giggled at her own ability to blatant have missed the obvious.

"But it's a yes". Sam leaned a little closer but didn't get far when his seat belt tugged at his shoulder and reminded him that he was still strapped it. He sat back and leaned forwards again, this time the belt giving him more room to move.

Andy sat there blushing like a budding rose, but smiling like it just may have felt good to have said the yes.

When Sam was close enough, he reached out for her hand and lifted it up before pulling it towards his hand still holding out the white box.

"You're planning..." Andy suddenly said voicing the significance of this moment. Sam never planned anything but this was one moment he planned. Taking her home to meet his family- was planned. The ring in the glove compartment- was planned.

"For a lifetime" Sam answered. It was simple- he was planning because this was where he wanted his life to go.

"Okay" Andy said and finally let her gaze drop to the ring box now in her own hand.

"Okay?".

"Yes. Yeah. Okay". Andy said looking up and giving Sam one of the biggest smiles he'd ever seen her wear.

"Yes?". Sam nearly yelled it out, the single word making Andy nearly jump as she let out a fit of giggles.

This time she only nodded, then she scooted over over and was about to give him a kiss when she was snapped back in her seat by her seat belt.

Her hand worked like magic to unsnap it and within seconds she was free and practically in his lap.

She kissed him really softly, and ever so briefly before regaining her composure and backing away.

"Do I get to keep the Nickel?" She asked with a really serious face.

"Yup". Sam chuckled out. "And me?". Sam wiggled his eyebrows a little to lighten the mood.

Andy smiled at him, her eyes telling him that the moment had turned even more serious.

"Promise me...". Andy started but choked up and left it to hang.

Sam shook his head, this time he wasn't going to make her a promise.

"Sam...". Sam held his hand over hers, the one still holding the closed box. It made her quieten down instantly.

"No promises, not this time".

Sam took a deep breath and slid a smile over his lips. "No promises, because this time I'm going to show you".

It was still a promise, a promise for more but labeling it as something other than a promise felt right.

Andy still looked sad as she remembered the past, memories flashing through her mind as she sat looking at him.

"And I promise to stay. No walking away".

Sam felt like his heart was ready to explode when Andy said those words. It took a lot for her to say them, more than he thought most people he knew possessed.

It was her way of saying so many things with one sentence.

It was her promise of forever.

Suddenly everything felt right, like it was meant to be.

Forever with her- it would be a long life but an eternity would never be enough.

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Jelly Bean Jenna©