I have to say this collection of stories has brought about the most conversations with readers than any of my other stories…and I love it because it's given me more prompts and even given me ideas for two stories I'll probably write separately and not part of "Missing Moments." So, thank you for being such interactive readers! :) That said, keep the reviews coming cause sometimes even simple comments spark something in my head.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Waiting For Her Return

Prompt: Sam and Oliver talking about Andy's undercover assignment for the taskforce and how things will be when she comes back.

Featuring: Sam and Oliver

Two weeks after Andy didn't show up at The Penny, Sam sat at his desk finding out as much as he could about the leader of the gang Project Dakota was trying to take down. He'd convinced Luke a week earlier that he'd find out about the taskforce one way or the other, so it was just easier to give him some information. Sam had endured several jabs about his last time undercover, but Luke finally gave him a few names and the very bare basics of the taskforce's goals. Sam had then gotten stern warnings from both Luke and Frank to not take matters into his own hands or interfere with the taskforce. Luke knew he'd face the wrath of Sam after Andy accepted his invitation to go undercover, and he figured giving him some information was better than having Sam go behind his back and potentially ruin the operation.

"You know, staring at that file over and over isn't going to make her come back faster, brother," Oliver said, plopping down next to Sam with his lunch.

Sam leaned back in his chair and looked over at his friend. "I know, I know. I just need to know what she knows. I need to see if I can help."

"You promised them you wouldn't get involved," Oliver warned, knowing about the deal Sam had made with both Luke and Frank.

"I'm not. I just...I have a lot of CI's. If I have any information that could help, I want her - I want them to have it. I need her to come home safe," he replied. Oliver pondered his friend's thoughts as he finished off the first half of his sandwich. Sam went back to reading the file until Oliver spoke again.

"So, uh, you decide what happens when she does come back?" Oliver asked. Sam pushed out an annoyed breath and tried ignoring Oliver. "C'mon Sammy, I'm serious."

"I don't know, okay." Sam's palm hit the desk harder than he planned. "I left. She left. I screwed up; I need her to know that."

"Maybe you need to take your own advice," Oliver suggested. At Sam's blank stare, he realized he had to remind him. "You told me not to waste a good thing by keeping score. That sometimes the best thing is the thing you had. It's good advice."

"It's that easy, huh? What if she doesn't think the same way?" Sam asked.

"Look, you admitted, to her, that you made a mistake pushing her away, right? So, let her explain why she left. Maybe she'll think it was a mistake, maybe she just needed space. But give her a chance to explain, and go from there. Don't keep score of who did what to whom," he replied. Sam nodded, knowing his friend had been through the relationship ringer with Zoe enough times to give some good advice.

Sam took a deep breath as he turned to faced Oliver. "She left me a note, you know. Nash found it at her place when she stopped over to check on things last week." Sam scrubbed a hand over his face. The note was short, scrawled in hast as she was probably short on time, but it was what was keeping him going while she was gone.

"And?" Oliver prompted.

"She said she couldn't pass up the opportunity...which I understand. And that she didn't know when she'd be back," he replied. "God, I pushed her so far away, I didn't even know she wanted in on this taskforce."

"And what would you have done if you knew?" Oliver asked before finishing off his sandwich.

"I wouldn't have stopped her. I mean, this is great for her career, but... I don't know. I could've tried to go with her or - "

"Sammy, brother, you two can't just get lost in Candace and JD when things get tough."

"I know, I know," he said, waving off his friend's concerns. "So, maybe it would've just been good to know we were in a better place before she left for who knows how long."

"Look, just promise me, you're not going to do anything stupid. You know what she's doing. Leave it at that," Oliver cautioned.

"I won't." He was fighting every urge to do something, if only for the fact that trying to find her or reach out to her could risk her life. "I won't," he repeated forcefully so his friend would know he meant it.

"When she gets back, just remember, don't push her away because you want to avoid the hard stuff. You both need to do some changing and growing. Use this time to do that, so you're ready for her when she comes back," Oliver said.

Sam knew they both needed to change. He just wasn't sure how to make that happen. But Oliver was right; he could use the time now to work on himself so he was prepared to fight for them when she returned.

"You, uh, you also might want to clean your truck and apartment before she comes back. You know, if you start airing it out now, it might smell fresh by the time she returns," Oliver teased.

Sam feigned annoyance, but even he wouldn't date himself the way he let the trash take over life. It'd been some defiant act of proving his life was messy and that he liked it that way - even if the 'messy' he and Andy talked about months before was metaphorical, not literal.

"Already did," Sam said, responding to Oliver. Fact was, how could he make Andy believe he wanted to do everything, including taking out her trash, if he wasn't even taking out his own. And even though she didn't show up at The Penny that night, the next day he'd spent a good two hours disposing of all the trash he'd let build up in his apartment and his truck. Oliver hadn't been to the apartment since then to see the changes, as he'd moved back in with Zoe while they worked things out.

"Well, at least you won't stink when she gets back," Oliver quipped.

Sam rolled his eyes at his friend. "Don't you have some actual work to do?"

Oliver tossed his empty sandwich wrapper in a trash can. "Just doing my job as your friend, buddy."

He got up, ready to get back out on patrol now that he'd been feed, but Sam stopped him from walking away. "Oliver...thanks."

Oliver gave him a mock salute before walking away and smiling to himself. Job well done, he thought.