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"Noelle! You look absolutely radiant. How do you feel?" Sam worked at keeping his smile in place as he sat down on her desk.
"Not in the mood, Sammy. I've got swollen feet which I can hardly see, and I spend more time in the bathroom than at my desk. What do you want?"
"Don't blame me, blame Frank. I just need a small favor."
Maybe he should come back when Noelle was in a better mood. But how long would that take? He had exhausted all the other options, she had to help him. Even if he was scared to death of upset pregnant women.
"Not today." Noelle leaned back in her chair, examining him with a raised eyebrow. "And especially not if it involves 'the thing' McNally is on."
"Do you know anything about it?" Why couldn't Andy have just told him? This could have been so much easier if she would have.
But the last thing he had wanted was to argue with her right before she left undercover, she had to keep a clear head.
"Well, I know its Guns and Gangs, and it's all secretive. I have a few guesses, but I don't know anything beyond that, so I can't help you."
"But you can. It just takes one phone call. And you don't have to give me any specifics about the case, just the names of the detectives who initiated and run the op."
Noelle sighed deeply and frowned at him. "And how am I supposed to get that info, even if I wanted to?"
This was the hardest part, he had to tread carefully.
"Didn't you used to date that Stevens guy, the new department head? He was real crazy about you, if I remember correctly."
Sam ran his hands through his hair and smiled at her sheepishly.
"I haven't spoken to him in over two years. What makes you think I could persuade him to just tell me?"
"Your inevitable charm? I'm sure he still remembers you well."
He pleaded with her with his eyes, until she harshly broke contact.
"McNally is going to be fine, Sammy. You'll just have to wait 'till she's back to find out, like the rest of us. What could you do anyway? Plus Frank told you to stay out of this."
And what if she wasn't going to be fine, he would never be able to forgive himself. If he just knew what was going on, he could rest a bit easier.
"There's something hinky about all this, trust me. Why her, out of the blue? If you don't help me I'll just have to find another way, but I'd rather you'd help me."
A few seconds passed before Noelle pushed back her chair and stood up.
"Are you sure your judgment isn't clouded by your infatuation for this rookie?"
Well, maybe it was just a little in some situations, but instinct was instinct and his shouted to him to investigate this further.
"I'm sure. Where are you going?"
"I'm going to pee. When I get back I'll see what I can do about that phone call. I'm going to need a piece of blueberry pie and a large cup of chocolate milk, but not the cheap kind from around the corner. And you'll still owe me, big time."
Did these beds have to be this hard? That was just cruel.
Andy was lying back, focusing on her breathing, trying to clear her head, like Sam told her to. He had given her a whole speech last night, after they had left the Penny.
She had been talking to her friends, listening to Dov complain (again) about the thin wall he shared with Chris, silently saying goodbye to them (even if they weren't aware of anything other than Andy being on 'special assignment'), when Sam had come up behind her and whispered in her ear with that husky irresistible voice of his, asking if she was ready to leave yet.
Five minutes later they were in the car, and Sam's mood had turned serious. Why did most of their serious talks take place in or around cars?
"Listen McNally," he had said, "From tomorrow, your friends in there, they don't exist. You can't be thinking about them. You get that? Your dad, he doesn't exist. I don't exist, not while you're under."
After she had made clear (again and again) that she got it, he had driven her home and said goodbye to her like she was leaving for months instead of days.
The passion he had shown her resembled that of the first real night (blackouts don't count) they had had together, at the Alpine Inn. Every inch of her body had been explored and revered.
Okay, Sam was not good with words. She doubted he would ever say the 'I love you' to her, or show affection in his words. But they way he held and kissed her said enough of his love. The way he respected her, got her like no one else. He loved her, she was sure about that. No need to say it out loud, though it would be great to hear someday, maybe.
Could she do what Sam had said? Totally forget about her life, the people she loved, and become someone else? Well, she had too. There were too many people counting on her now.
Her only lifeline now to the outside world was a small cell phone she kept hidden in her backpack.
Only one number would ever call her, and she was forbidden to call anyone besides her handler.
She was even told to call him from a phone booth whenever possible, to avoid detection of the cell phone.
The girl in the bed next to her was eying her. Young, maybe barely twenty years old. She looked nice enough, in a rough, un-brushed and pierced way. Should she try to talk to her? It could be useful to make some friends here. No, contacts. Should she think of them that way? Or should she think in character and see them as new acquaintances? This was so confusing.
"Hi." Andy decided to just take the plunge. She had to practice being her new self anyway.
The girl was still eying her suspiciously. "You're new."
Andy sat up and stretched out her hand to her, flashing a nervous smile.
"Yeah, I'm Leila." That sounded so strange, even if she had practiced it about a thousand times. Good thing last names weren't really customary in this scene. They had given her one, of course; Berlin. But the least lies she would have to tell, the better.
The girl checked her out one more time before accepting her hand.
"I'm Carly. Nice bag."
The guys from her new team at Guns and Gangs had fitted her with a dusty old backpack that probably stemmed from times before her own conception, with lots of bright flowers and stripes that had long since faded away.
"Thanks." Andy fiddled with her braids, put in to accentuate her youth and change her face enough for no one who might have seen her in passing to recognize her. She had to say herself, it worked. When she had looked in the mirror after her makeover, she hardly recognized herself. If only Sam could see her like this, what he would say! Would he like it, or would it freak him out? She had a feeling she was young enough for him already, any more would possibly have him feeling like a pervert.
Oh, she shouldn't be thinking about him. Get a grip, Leila.
"I had a bag like that at home, used to belong to my mom. Guess it's in the trash now."
Where was her mom now? Dead, gone? Why did she leave home? Was it okay to ask, or was that not done here? This was turning out to be tricky.
"Have you been here long?"
Carly folded her legs under her smiled at her. "Few months. Came here from Detroit with my best friend. She's back there now. I'm hoping to move to LA soon, as soon as I have some money saved up from my trip. You know…"
Carly had stopped talking, as she stared breathlessly to the doorway. Andy followed her gaze, and had to hide her shock as she saw the newcomer was the woman she had seen on the pictures. This was her primary target, the woman she had to meet.