I promised the next story would be out quickly! :) Thanks for reading and reviewing these mini stories! This wasn't directly a prompt, but the idea was created after a conversation with a reviewer, so I'm making it a prompt. Don't forget to let me know what you think with a review - who knows, even if you don't have a prompt to request, your review might spark a story. :)

Finding Sam

Prompt: Andy and Sam start their relationship the normal way, not while he's undercover.

Takes place at the end of 2x10.

Featuring: Sam & Andy

It had been a long, tough day, and when Sam got home all he wanted was a long hot shower. As the water pounded his body, he didn't hear his phone ringing from the other room. When he finally got out and threw some clothes on, Sam noticed he had two voicemails. He dialed into his voicemail and sighed when he heard Boyd's voice come through the phone. He was pressing Sam for an answer about going undercover, saying something about the timetable being moved up and that he needed an answer tonight. Sam deleted the message, still unsure what his answer was going to be. It was true he loved undercover work, but he wondered if there was now something - or someone - he cared more about.

Moving along to the next message, he smiled hearing Andy's voice. An amused grin quickly took over his face as she talked about not wanting to save the good candy for later. After their near kiss next to the ambulance, he wondered if she felt the same thing he was feeling. But as usual, he'd been afraid to say anything, so even when they'd headed back to the station together, their only talk was focused on the case. He saved the message and was about to hit speed dial 3 when there was a knock at his door.

On his way to the door, he wondered if Boyd had given up on his phone calls and came to Sam in person, but as he swung the door open a much nicer surprise greeted him. She was shifting from foot to foot nervously and biting her bottom lip.

"Hey," he said, and motioned for her to come in.

"Sorry to just barge in," Andy said after he shut the door. "I just, I needed to - "

"I got your message," he said, interrupting her, with a grin so big his dimples were on full display.

"Oh, yeah, um..." She could feel the blush creep over her cheeks as she stumbled over her words. It was much easier to leave a voicemail telling him he was the good candy than it was to face him and say the same thing. "I needed to see you. I know you only have two weeks, but I don't care. We...I..." Suddenly, it occurred to her she had no idea if Sam felt the same way. Their almost kiss today made her think he did, but she was the one who left the rambling voicemail pouring her heart out. She had no idea how he felt.

Sam instantly saw a change from the bubbly person who arrived on his doorstep to the insecure person standing in front of him now. "McNally, I'm glad you're here. Let me take your coat." She shrugged out of her coat, trying to force herself to relax. "Want something to drink?" he asked. When she nodded, he pointed to the couch. "Go sit. I'll grab us a couple beers."

She sat on the couch trying to calm her heart that was nearly pounding out of her chest. While she waited for Sam, she took in her surroundings. It wasn't a typical bachelor pad and didn't remind her anything of Chris and Dov's place. Sam's was comforting and homey. She loved it.

Sam walked into the living room, sitting next to Andy as he handed her a beer. "I know this doesn't compare to champagne, but..." he smirked.

Andy laughed as he referenced her voicemail again. "It was Leslie, she had this champagne...it's a long story."

"If it convinced you to come here, I have time," he said.

Her eyes were cast down in her lap where her fingers fidgeted with the bottle she held. "Leslie, the girl we saved...she was saving this bottle of champagne for the day she finished writing her songs, but...But she kept putting it off and the bottle sat in her kitchen." She brought her eyes up to meet Sam's. "And then she died, never having the champagne."

Andy took a sip of her beer and waited for Sam to respond. It all made sense to him now, but the story also made Sam realize how close he came to losing Andy today as the car went up in flames. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, you know, when the car caught fire," he said.

That wasn't exactly the response she was hoping for, but she shook her head to ease his mind. "It's okay, Sam. I was fine. You were rescuing that little boy."

"I know, but...When I couldn't find you right away, my heart nearly stopped at the thought that something happened to you." Sam put his beer down on the coffee table before his eyes met Andy's again. "And when I found you, it just wasn't the right time or place for..." His word trailed off, but all he could think about was their near kiss.

"For what?" she asked quietly.

Sam reached out to cup her cheek with his hand as his face inched closer to hers. He watched her eyes close, and their lips were nearly touching when a loud knock at the door jolted them away from each other. Andy opened her eyes and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding from the moment his hand had touched her skin. Sam cursed under his breath as whoever was at the door knocked again.

"I should...I should go see who that is." And kill them, Sam thought silently.

This time the sight that greeted him when he opened the door was an unhappy looking Boyd. "Why don't you answer your phone?" he asked gruffly, pushing his way inside the apartment without an invitation.

"I've been busy," Sam replied curtly, and shut the door.

It was then that Boyd's eyes glanced into the living room and he saw Andy looking back at them from the couch. "I can see that," he sneered.

"What do you want Boyd?" Sam demanded, while stepping in Boyd's line of sight to force him to look at him and not Andy.

"Get your stuff, we have to leave now. The op's been pushed up," Boyd said, refocusing on why he was here.

"I never accepted your offer." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and resisted the urge to look behind him to see Andy's reaction.

"It was never a question, Sammy. We both know you're going to take it. You live for this stuff," he replied, getting impatient.

Sam looked him in the eye and couldn't believe his arrogance. Yes, he'd considered Boyd's offer, but it was never a sure thing that he'd take it. His thoughts about undercover work had changed for some reason - no, not just somereason; they changed because of Andy. Because now that she wasn't with Luke, he wanted to see what might happen between them. And now he knew for sure there was a chance of something.

"No," was the only word that left Sam's mouth. He didn't want to, or need to, explain himself to Boyd.

"What?! Sammy, you know the uniform is a straitjacket for you. You live for undercover. You need it. Don't throw it away for some rookie," he yelled, nodding his head toward Andy as the last words left his mouth.

"I said no Boyd." Sam gritted his teeth, hoping Boyd wasn't in the mood to push his buttons. If he called Andy some rookieagain in that tone of voice, Sam was pretty sure his fist would connect with the detective's face.

"Sammy, you can't do this to me. I have no one else I can put under so quickly," Boyd pleaded.

"You shouldn't have assumed I'd say yes. I told you this morning I wasn't sure about it. Now..." Sam moved toward the door, placing a hand on the knob. "I think it's time you go."

With a look of astonishment and anger, Boyd glanced back and forth between Sam and Andy before shaking his head and moving toward the now open door.

After closing the door behind Boyd, Sam moved back toward the couch and Andy stood up to meet him halfway. "Sam, you love undercover work. Why would you turn Boyd down?"

"I have something to stay for now," he replied.

"You don't have to do this. I'll wait."

"Maybe I don't want to wait."

Andy smiled and their faces slowly moved closer until their lips were as close as they could get without touching. Her heart started pounding in her chest as she felt his breath on her skin and she waited the few moments that felt like an eternity, before his lips connected with hers. It was gentle, soft lips meeting soft lips, while the long awaited connection sent electrifying currents through both of them.

His hands didn't know where to go, resting briefly on her waist before traveling up her sides and around her back before finally coming to rest framing the sides of her face as they deepened the kiss. Her hands had more control, knowing they wanted to feel the strong muscles in his chest just as they had the night of the blackout. They slid up and down his chest, wishing it was the feel of his skin under her fingertips, but settling for the cotton t-shirt covering his body.

When the need for air finally became too much, they broke apart, but still held each other close.

"I'm glad you're not going," Andy said sheepishly.

"Me too." He closed the distance again to place another kiss on her lips. Before either of them could deepen the kiss, he pulled away. "You hungry?"

Andy nodded. "Starving."

"I'll make us something to eat," he said, turning toward the kitchen. She managed to grab his hand before he walked away and held it as she followed him into the other room. At his insistence that she sit and relax, she pushed herself up onto the counter and watched him as he moved around the kitchen, pulling a homemade frozen lasagna – something he'd cooked a couple weeks earlier – from the freezer and placing it in the oven.

Once dinner was cooking and the table was set, Sam walked over to Andy, placing himself between her legs as he stood as close to her as he could get. When he remained silent, just staring at her, Andy's allergy to silence got the best of her. "So, what do we...how do we..."

"Overthinking things, McNally?" he questioned, smirking. As she turned three shades of red, he brushed a hand up and down the outside of her leg, not needing to fight the urge to touch her anymore.

"No," she mumbled.

He knew she was worried about how they start whatever this was between them and how they transition from being just friends. "Hey...Andy." He waited until she looked him in the eye. "What would you say to me taking you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot," she said with a grin.

"Okay then. It's a date," he said, smiling back.

"Our first date." She wrapped her fingers around his hand that was planted on the counter next to her. "I like the sound of that."

They chatted easily through dinner, the weight of their almost kiss earlier in the day gone now that they had kissed and knew they were both on the same page. She helped him clean up after they ate and was sad when all the dishes were washed, dried and put away, as she didn't want the night to end. She was just so happy spending time with Sam.

As they walked out of the kitchen, Sam knew it was getting late and he should drive Andy back to Traci's, but deep down he didn't want to. Nonetheless, he was going to be a gentleman and fight every urge he had to drag her to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind them. "Let me take you home," he offered.

Andy had a mischievous look on her face and began slowly backing up in the direction of his bedroom. "No."

"Andy..." He meant it to come out as a warning - a warning that he only had so much restraint, especially when it came to her, and he was trying to be a gentleman - but his voice was husky and wavered so it came out as more of a plea.

An amused grin took over her face as she unbuttoned the bottom two buttons of her blouse. "Ask me to stay, Sam." Her hands hovered over the last button that was holding her shirt closed.

His feet kept him planted in the same position for only a moment longer before he was taking two strides toward her. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, tilting her head so she was looking up at him. "Stay," he whispered.

"Okay."