Welcome back! As always, thanks for your reviews/follows/favourites! You guys definitely know how to get me to blush with your kind words, so thank you for all of your feedback and support!

Oh, and as you'll see, this chapter sort of starts off like the last one, but don't worry, there's nothing to it.

And this chapter grew to be 8,224 words, so I'm breaking it in "half". So basically, there won't be a long wait between this update and the next. That said, if this chapter doesn't entirely go along with what I said to expect, that's because part of it comes in the next chapter… For my future reference though (if this happens again), would you guys prefer a super LONG chapter but potentially a longer wait time between updates, or smaller (but still decent length) chapters with less of a wait time? Anyone have a preference?

Recap: Andy is playing poker with her dad, Oliver, and Sam in an effort to win Oliver's silence regarding the existence of her college-age boyfriend. While her dad is out of the room, Andy's behaviour could be considered somewhat inappropriate, including bribing Oliver for his silence and exchanging intense stares with Sam. Meanwhile, Sam develops an obvious curiosity where Andy is considered, wanting to know more about her, while simultaneously finding himself slowly being wrapped around her finger in the same way Oliver and her dad are… Andy ends up winning the poker game… Sam and Oliver respond to a noise complaint call and end up running into Andy and her boyfriend. Oliver threatens Tyler, and Sam has to convince Andy to let them drive her home. Andy ends up calling Sam in the middle of the night to pick her up, and he finds out that she's been doing drugs and running from the cops.

Sam has her shirt halfway over her head when his phone starts ringing. "You've got to be kidding me," he mutters, already having a pretty good idea of who's calling without even having to look at the screen. Sure, he's only heard from her once, and that was about three weeks ago, but the fact that he's positive it's her means that she hasn't figured things out after all. He barely withholds a groan. The first two weeks after picking her up had been spent butting heads with Lindsay. Every time they'd tried to get intimate, she brought up Andy, and every time she mentioned Andy's name, he found himself becoming abnormally defensive. So, after two weeks of nothing but fighting, they called it quits. Not that is was surprising. The convenience factor had long-since vanished and they weren't serious enough to really try to work things out. But tonight he's with someone again – for the first time since Lindsay – and here's Andy throwing another wrench into things... his life, to be more specific. With each ring he gets a sinking feeling that he's in for another round, this time with...

His eyes flick to Emily's face… At least he's pretty sure her name is Emily. Or Emma? Anna? Hell, he doesn't know anymore. He'd met her a few hours ago at The Penny. They hadn't talked much, but it was clear what she was after, and he wasn't about to object. She was pretty: blond hair, petite. Definitely his type. So he went for it. Bought her a few drinks and took her home. And now his night is about to be derailed again by the teenage brunette.

Shooting her an apologetic look, he connects the call. "You're not running again, are you?"

"Uh, no… nope, I'm definitely not running," Andy replies, her teeth pressing down on her lower lip as she looks around.

"So…?"

"So…" She pauses. She needs help. She really needs help, but how far is he willing to go?

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Sam asks, rubbing his face.

He's not going to help, Andy thinks, eyes widening. Then again, it is almost two in the morning, later than the last time she'd called him. She silently curses. "Yeah, I know." She takes a deep breath. "Look I'm really sorry. It's just…" She falls silent again, struggling to find the least damaging way of putting things.

"Just what, McNally?" Sam asks. She doesn't sound high or drunk, so what can she possibly want?

"I kind of need you to come get me… As in, I really need you to get me…" She pauses, listening for a moment to the silence on the other end. "Please?" she adds, hating how desperate she suddenly sounds, but truth be told, she is pretty much at her last straw.

"From?" Sam presses. He's already getting a bad feeling, like he isn't going to like what he's about to hear.

She gives him an address that sounds familiar, but he can't quite place it.

He hesitates, smirking as he feels the woman's hands roaming his body. Does he really want to do this again? Just drop his personal life to help her? At this rate and with her timing, he won't even have much of a personal life anymore. Deciding to assess the situation a little more and find out how bad things are, he asks, "What if I'm busy?"

Silence.

"Andy?"

"Okay," she says quietly, her voice shaking.

Sam withholds a groan. She sounds scared now.

"I've gotta go," she says, her voice barely audible.

"McNally, wait," Sam says, sighing. "Why me? I know I said I'd help, but why me?"

Andy closes her eyes, pressing her lips together before finally taking a deep breath and saying, "Look, I'm sorry I bothered you, okay? But, I've gotta go."

He can tell she's probably struggling to hold back tears now. "Tell me why and I'll come get you."

Silence.

"Andy?"

"Because you know… and this is the only call I have."

He can hear some people in the background, and can make out enough of the conversations to get a pretty good idea of where she is now. "Were you arrested?"

"I... Maybe."

"Yes or no?" he asks sharply, though he's pretty sure he already knows the answer. He's hoping he's wrong though.

"Yes." Again, she sounds timid, uncertain, and scared.

"Last time McNally," Sam says. If Tommy or Oliver find out he kept this from them, he'll be in a lot of trouble. He really isn't even sure why he listened to her and kept his mouth shut in the first place. Or why he's about to do it again. Well, except for the fact that he hadn't taken Oliver seriously when his friend warned him that Andy would have him wrapped around her finger. He hadn't listened, and here he is, the hardheaded rookie who doesn't take crap from anyone, suddenly driving around the city at all hours of the night, any night, to help her out. Yeah, he supposes he knows exactly why he listens to her. As much as he doesn't understand it and would love to deny it, Andy McNally has rapidly become his weakness. He's determined to fix that though.

"Thank you."

When he hangs up the phone, he looks back at the woman to find her arms folded across her chest. "Got a girlfriend?"

Sam shakes his head.

"Then why do I have a feeling you're gonna ditch me?"

He hesitates. "A… friend needs help."

"At two in the morning?" she asks, hands on her hips. She's now staring at him like he has three heads.

He runs a hand over his face. Does he really have to have this conversation with every woman? No. This is the last time; he meant it when he told Andy that. He can't keep dropping everything for her. She has to learn, and she won't do that if she has him as her safety net 24/7. For a brief moment he contemplates letting Andy wait, making sure she realizes he's serious – maybe even teach her a lesson. But he can't. She really does have him wrapped around her finger, but that's about to change. "Yeah," is all he says as he looks at her.

"Do you always run off and help your friend like this? Let him or her control your life?"

Sam clenches his teeth. Is this woman really giving him a lecture? Sure, maybe he's being a bit of a pushover when it comes to Andy, but who is she to tell him? Maybe it's a good thing they didn't talked much at The Penny. He hesitates a fraction of a second before grabbing his jacket and putting on his boots. He knows it's completely unnecessary, but this woman is getting on his nerves, so when he speaks next, he makes sure he emphasizes that Andy's a woman. "She needs my help."

"Yeah, well, whoever she is, she's not worth it. She clearly doesn't have any boundaries."

Sam ignores her and heads for the door.

"I'm telling you now, if you walk out that door, you're missing out sweetheart. That girl just isn't worth it."

He meets her eyes for a moment, then flings the door open and leaves without another word or glance back.

At 27 Division...

Sam picks up the pen, but hesitates. His name is going to be all over this document, and it could very well come back to bite him. He glances to his right. At least Andy has the decency to look ashamed. Still, he wants to pull her aside and make her promise to quit whatever the hell she's been up to, but until he signs the document, he can't take her anywhere, and asking her with another officer just feet away will only make things worse... for both of them. Shaking his head, he signs the document and nods to the officer, who then frees Andy from the handcuffs.

She follows him out of the station, but stops when they're a few metres away from the sidewalk. "Thanks," she says, her eyes cast downward.

He turns back and stares at her in disbelief. Does she really think he's just going to leave her here? "Get in the truck." His voice is sharp and demanding.

"I didn't do anything," she says quietly, still staring at the ground.

"McNally, get in the truck," he growls. "I'm taking you home."

She hesitates, her voice a little louder this time when she speaks. "I'm not going home."

"Like hell you aren't," he says, trying to keep his voice down so that they won't attract any attention.

"I can't go home yet," she says firmly, her eyes slowly making their way up his body, though they stop when they reach his chest. She can't quite bring herself to look him in the eye.

Sam studies her for a moment, then tilts her chin up, taking a quick glance around before saying, "Why did they bring you in?" When she doesn't respond, he adds, "They wouldn't have released you if you were on something, so what is it?"

She turns her head away, breaking contact with his hand. "I told you I didn't do anything."

"Then why won't you go home?" He's starting to get a little irritated now. Why the hell did he have to offer his help again? Because I'm an idiot. Got sucked in by big brown eyes, a sweet smile, and burning curiosity.

"I, uh…" She pauses, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "I have to get something."

Gently grabbing her arm, he pulls her toward his truck. "Get in and I'll take you."

She hesitates, but doesn't have much of a choice with the way he's boxing her in, so she finally nods and gets in the truck, giving him the address when he climbs in the other side.

The drive is done in silence, but there's nothing comfortable about it. They're almost at the destination when she says, "Can you pullover?"

Sam glances at her before taking in the surroundings. It's not exactly the safest neighbourhood. "We aren't there yet."

She hesitates. "I know, but this is it."

He gives her a hard look before pulling over, getting out and following her as she heads down an alley.

When she looks over her shoulder and sees him a couple of metres behind her, she stops rather abruptly, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. "Uh, what are you doing?"

His eyes narrow. "You didn't think I was just going to let you walk around here alone, did you?"

Andy swallows hard. "Uh… You know, maybe I'll just go home after all."

"Are you meeting someone?"

"No."

"Then get whatever you're here to get," he replies, starting to get a pretty good idea of why they're here.

She stiffens.

"Is there a problem?" he presses.

"Umm, nope," Andy replies. "Just looking for my watch." She searches his face to see if he can see through her lie, but for once she can't really read him. Turning abruptly, she starts moving further down the alley, deciding that she'd better put some distance between them in case he decides to check her wrist.

Still, she looks back at him a little nervously, but he merely gestures for her to continue searching, his eyes locked on her back as she turns her head away.

Partway down, she moves to the side, kneels, and grabs something. Her heart is pounding heavily in her chest. When she stands, she slowly turns to face him, trying her best to adopt a neutral expression. "Okay," she says. "Found it." She's fiddling with the strap on her watch as if she'd just been putting it on.

Sam isn't buying it. It may have worked on some people, but he's been getting a better read on her and he's positive she's hiding something. He silently reminds himself that things need to change. "Empty your pockets."

Her eyes meet his. "Why?"

"Do it."

Andy shakes her head. "No thanks."

He takes a deep breath. "McNally, you're going to empty your pockets, or I'm going to do it for you."

She believes him, and that scares her because even though she's pretty sure he knows what she has, she can't bring herself to actually show him. As fear consumes her, her common sense abandons her. She tries to bolt, but he's ready.

Sam reaches out and catches her around the middle. "Stop," he growls. "I'm trying to help you."

"You already did," she says, struggling to free herself. "Now let go."

"No." He gently pulls her towards the brick wall and quickly turns her so her back is pressed up against the solid surface. She's still fighting him though, so he pins her with his forearm. "This needs to stop." His eyes flick to the end of the alley. He knows that this isn't exactly an ideal place to have this kind of conversation, and that if anyone happens to walk by, they might very well think that he's mugging her... or worse. Grimacing, he turns his attention back to her. "Hand it over."

Andy's terrified. She's fairly certain he won't do anything to hurt her, but she's equally sure that she's not going to get away without giving him what he wants. In a final weak attempt to shrug it off, she says, "You want my watch?"

He grinds his teeth together. "Give me the drugs." He can feel her body trembling, and almost considers backing off, but what good will that do? "Andy?" he says, his voice a little softer.

She closes her eyes and a tear escapes, slowly rolling down her left cheek. She hates the fact that she's crying in front of him; she hates that she's even crying at all. But the night's activities have worn her out physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Now he feels guilty. He made her cry. Slowly raising his other hand, he gently wipes the tear away. When her eyes open and she looks up at him, he feels himself being sucked back in. The look in her eyes is heartbreaking, and although he doesn't really understand it, he wants to comfort her. Dropping his forearm, he wraps her up in his arms, pulling her tight to his body. It only takes a few seconds for her arms to wrap around him too. "I can't help you, unless you help me," he says quietly, running a hand up and down her back in a soothing manner. He can gradually feel the tension leave her body.

Andy nods into his chest, takes a deep breath, and pulls away.

"It's just me, okay? I already know," he says, wiping the tears from her face again.

"Okay," she breathes. She takes a long, shaky breath as she reaches into the pocket of her jeans and hands him a small bag.

Sam watches her drop the bag into the palm of his hand, staring at it for a brief second before pocketing it. The last thing he needs is for anyone to see that. Although he's never seen the pill before, he recognizes it based on what Andy had told him. He runs a hand over his face, desperately trying to keep his anger at bay. She's smarter than this. "Why would you even risk it? Do you have any idea what would have happened if they'd caught you with this?"

"Yeah," Andy replies, her walls slamming back up. "Which is why I dropped it."

She's becoming defensive, and that's only causing his temper to flare more. "So you're still doing it?"

She remains silent.

He's losing control. "If you'd even had one drink or taken one pill—"

"But I didn't," she replies, a hint of anger in her own voice. "I didn't do anything... They had nothing on me. I was there, that's it." She left out the fact that she hadn't had a single thing to drink and hadn't done any drugs because she'd just arrived at the party.

He forces himself to turn away and take a deep breath before looking at her again. Maybe she really wasn't going to do those things. Or maybe she'd just been lucky. Either way, she still had the pills with her. He sighs. This whole night feels like a roller coaster, one that isn't going to end anytime soon. "I want to help you Andy, I really do, but this has to stop." He pauses. "I can't do this anymore, because every time I do, it's like it makes it okay and it's not. You're just going to do it again, so I can't." He takes a deep breath. "I... I'm done," he says, meeting her eyes. "You need to learn, and you can't do that if I'm always around to bail you out."

"Fine," she says, trying to shrug it off. If she's honest with herself, she's a little hurt, but she gets it. He has a life, and she's been getting in the way. She starts walking back toward the road, doing her best not to look at him when he steps up beside her. When they finally reach the end of the alley, she turns left, away from the truck.

"Where are you going?" Sam asks.

"Home."

"McNally, get in the truck."

"I'm fine, okay? I can walk. I don't need you to give me a ride. I don't need your help anymore. You've done enough."

He groans. "McNally, please get in the truck." She stops and he thinks she may have actually heard him, but when his eyes settle on a group of guys a little further down the street, he realizes she's a little nervous. And she should be. He recognizes a few of them from the criminal database.

"Umm, yeah, okay," she says, turning abruptly and hurrying past him on her way to his truck.

"Recognize them?" he asks once they're in his truck.

She bites her lip. "My dad may have accidentally left some files on the table... more than once."

He nods. At least it isn't because she actually knows them. Between now and the time he pulls up in front of her house, neither one of them speaks, but as she reaches to open the door, he puts a hand out to stop her from leaving. "Don't throw your life away like this."

Andy meets his eyes for a brief moment. "Thanks for the ride," she says. Without another word she shakes off his hand and gets out of the truck.

He waits until she's inside, getting a bad feeling that whatever path she's heading down is far from over.

Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you think.

Up next, things spiral out of control for Andy, but what happens when she hits rock bottom? And, when Oliver is pulled into the mix, will Sam, Andy, and Oliver be able to cover everything up, or is Andy about to learn the biggest lesson of her life?