All previous disclaimers still stand.
Thanks for all of your favorites, follows and reviews- it makes me really happy to know that people are enjoying the story :)
Who's excited for 4x05? I know I am! Thursday can't come soon enough!
So far the shift had been relatively simple; no major accidents, stops or angry drivers. The only thing I had to contend with was a hung over Gail and trust me, that was no breeze. As we were finishing writing up a ticket for a driver who wasn't wearing his seatbelt, the radio crackled to life,
"1521, you're needed back at the station."
Gail reached in and told dispatch that we'd be there in about ten minutes. So much for a shift that would be devoid of a certain detective and another officer.
As we walked back into the station, Traci was waiting for me outside the detectives' office.
"What's up Traci?" I asked as I walked up to where she was standing.
"We need you Andy. This case we've been working on, it's a little more complex than it first looked," she adopted a concerned look, "How do you feel about doing some undercover work again?"
"As long as it's not for six months again, I don't mind." I said as a smile emerged. "What do you need me to do?"
"You and Nick will be going in as…"
"Hang on," I interrupted, "Nick and I?"
"Yeah, we need two officers and since you both have experience and were together for so long, Swarek said you'd be perfect."
"Sam suggested this?" I asked incredulously. I'm sure he's purposely trying to make my life as uncomfortable as possible- first Marlo and now throwing me together with Nick.
"Yeah he did. Why? Is there a reason why you don't want to do it? I thought you and Nick had gotten past the gun incident? If you want us to find someone else, I'm sure we can."
"No, no- I'll do it." As I agreed, my eyes flicked across the room to see Gail heading into the kitchen looking for Nick.
This was not how I envisaged my day going.
"Collins, you'll be posing as Ed Jackson," the authoritative tone clear in Sam's voice as he spoke, "Jackson is a low level drugs runner trying to move up the ladder. All you need to do is convince Davis that you're legit and that you've got potential. Get him to do that and we're all set; we can get him during the handover."
"What about Andy sir?" Nick asked.
"McNally," his gaze lingering on me a fraction too long as he spoke, "You'll be Ed's girlfriend. All you need to do is…"
"Back him up?" I said, finishing his sentence for him.
"Yeah. Just back him up." He repeated slowly. His eyes betrayed the fact that he was recollecting the time when I was just back up for him, the debacle that was Gabe and Edie. I just hoped that this time there wouldn't be any near brushes with being made.
Sam got up from the desk and proceeded to walk out of the room, casting his eyes my way one last time before he left.
"You ready partner?" Nick queried as he gave me hand out of the chair, all previous awkwardness seemingly vanishing as we adopted our new personas.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I answered with a shy smile.
As we walked through the back door that opened out onto the alley, Nick's hand searched out my own and he casually threaded his fingers through mine. He did it with such ease and confidence that it was like he'd been doing it for years and it was just second nature to him.
The interior door of the building creaked open as Nick pushed it, our eyes locking as if seeking reassurance that the other was ready.
"Mr. Davis?" Nick called as we entered the room.
"Yes," replied a deep voice from the table in the middle of the room, "Ed Jackson?"
"Yes sir," replied Nick.
"Are you here about the courier position?
"I am sir." Nick said as his hand tightened around mine.
"Have you got any experience in this kind of work?" He enquired.
"I worked for James O'Reilly for five years in Saskatoon." The lie tripped off of Nick's tongue with ease.
"O'Reilly huh?" asked Davis, clearly impressed by Nick's employment history.
James O'Reilly was the king of meth in Saskatoon; anyone who was anyone in the business went to O'Reilly.
As Davis was assessing Nick, his attention was suddenly drawn to me.
"Who's this?" I noticed a predatory glint flashing in his eyes as he spoke.
"This is Kate, my girlfriend." His hand releasing my own as he spoke and re-positioning itself firmly on my waist, drawing me closer into him.
"Well aren't you just something," he remarked as he cast an eye up and down me.
I was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable and I looked up at Nick hoping he'd sense that something wasn't right. He seemed to understand exactly what it was that I was saying but no sooner had that happened, a second guy emerged from the back room calling Nick over to him. I attempted to follow Nick but a hand reached out and pulled me back, preventing me from following him. As I let out a small sound, Nick's head whipped round to face me.
"Kate comes with me Mr. Davis," stated Nick.
"Actually, she stays here. That way I can keep you in line and make sure she has everything she needs."
"Go on Ed," I said shakily, "I'll be fine- you'll be back in a minute."
Nick surveyed me for a minute and I tried desperately to show him that I needed him to stay with me but he was just being escorted away from me and had no chance of breaking away. I could just hear Sam's voice in my head, chastising me for putting myself in a vulnerable position.
Twenty minutes later and there was still no sign of Nick returning. I had remained planted on the sofa whilst Davis was in the chair opposite, his gaze and never left me for more than a minute this entire time. I pulled out the phone that Traci had given me with the built in microphone, better to be safe than sorry. At least this way I had some element of back up because I knew that at the first sign of trouble Traci would leave the van that was parked outside.
I slowly got up and walked towards the door that I had last seen Nick walk through. As I reached for the handle I felt a hand latch onto my shoulder and roughly spin me around, pushing me against the wall.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Davis, his face mere inches from my own.
"I just wanted to see how long Ed would be."
"He won't be much longer." Davis replied and as he did I could feel his hands and eyes beginning to roam all over me.
No longer capable of suppressing it, and with the remembrance of Sam's words swirling in my mind from that first John sweep,
"Don't let anybody touch you,"
I let out an almighty scream and fought to push Davis off of me.
In less than 10 seconds I heard running feet and saw Nick come bursting through the door, his eyes frantically searching for me. The moment he clocked me, he saw red and turned on Davis exercising all of his force. I leaped up to try and separate Nick and Davis when the back door was thrown open with such force that it rebounded off the wall behind it. As I pulled Nick off of him, I saw Sam and Traci approach Davis and get him in cuffs all the time, Sam's gaze burning into me.
"Andy, Andy are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Nick's worried tone saved me from the intensity of Sam's stare.
"Yeah, I'm fine Nick. Are you ok?" I asked, leaning in to examine a scratch on his face.
"I've had worse injuries." He said.
"Are you two ok? Are you up for a debrief back at the station?" Traci enquired.
"Yeah, we're good," Nick replied, giving me another quick assessment, "Can you give us a ride?"
"Of course- get in."
An hour after the end of shift, I was getting changed in the locker room and looking at myself in the mirror when I saw Traci come in behind me.
"That was a close call Andy," she said, "It's a good thing Nick was there."
"Tell me about it Trace. I don't know what would have happened. I know that I managed to get him off me but I don't think I could have done it again. All I kept hearing was Sam's voice in my head, warning me about not letting people touch me."
"You should have seen him Andy."
"Who?" I asked, "Nick?"
"No, I mean Sam. When Davis started touching you Andy he almost broke in half, he was so angry. When Nick started on Davis you could see the relief in Sam's eyes, all he wanted to do after that was just get in there and arrest him."
"Traci, I appreciate what you're getting at but you know that it's over. I'm glad that you and Sam were there, truly I am, but he has no right to act like that. He's got someone else now that he needs to protect, I've got Nick and that's more than enough."
"What do you mean you've got Nick" Traci replied, looking a little perplexed.
"I just mean…" but before I got a chance to finish, Gail and Chloe walked into the locker room, "Nothing, it's ok. I'll see you tomorrow Traci."
As I walked out of the sally port, the wall of heat that had blanketed the city for the majority of the week hit me and all I could think about was getting home to a bottle of beer and my AC unit. As I approached the gate there was a flash of something out of the corner of my eye and as I turned to see what it was, Nick's arm caught a hold of mine.
"Hey," he smiled, "I just wanted to check that you were ok before I left for the night."
"Thanks but I'm fine, I promise. I'm just so thankful that you were there, I really don't know what I would have done…"
"Andy," he interrupted, " I'm always going to be there. I promised you when we went under the last time that no matter what, you could count on me and I still mean it." As he spoke his hand moved up and down my arm, the action evoking a sense of familiarity and comfort. "It was just like being back in that little apartment wasn't it? Just the two of us."
"Yeah, it was." I agreed, a small smile creeping onto both of our lips as we looked at each other.
"I forgot how easy it is," he said a hint of sadness invading his voice.
"What?" I asked.
"Us."
"Yeah…it is easy." I said, getting lost for the briefest of seconds in his eyes.
The moment was broken almost as quickly as it started by Gail's shouting across the parking lot,
"Nick, come on!"
Both of our heads craned to see where Gail was stood and when we saw her stalking off to the car, Nick flicked his head back to me,
"I'd better go," he uttered.
"Yup," I replied, looking down as I said it, " Gail needs you tonight- I think her head needs some looking after."
"Are you ok getting home?" He asked, his eyes searching my own for something. Anything.
"I'm all good Nick. Thanks though. I'll see you tomorrow." I replied and watched him as he got in the car that Gail had entered. I followed the car with my eyes as it drove out of the lot and as it did, I saw Sam and Marlo headed to his truck; their arms slung around each other.
"I'm all good." I said, speaking to no one but the warm dark Toronto night.
I'm sorry if you felt that Andy should have been more independent but, I'm quite happy with how it turned out and I think she's always going to want at least one person to have her back.
Review if you liked it :)
August12