This is the last chapter of this story. An author's note at the end will explain why I ended it here. I know people will want more, but as I was writing this it seemed a really perfect place to end. Thank you all so much for all the reviews and favorites and follows. I truly wish we could have seen something like this in S4. Because it IS possible for Sam and Andy to grow TOGETHER and not apart. Please continue to let me know what you think with a review! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.
Chapter 5
Sam woke up with his arm draped across Andy's body. He squinted as he opened his eyes, having forgot to shut the blinds before they'd tumbled into bed the night before. He rolled onto his back so he could glance at the clock on the bedside table. It was still early and just as he was about to close his eyes again, he felt Andy roll over until she was partially on top of him.
She'd woken up the moment the weight of his arm had been lifted from her. She missed his touch so she curled into his side, humming contently into his chest when she was comfortable again. Sam let his fingers dance down her back lightly.
"Don't wanna get up," she mumbled as she laid her arm across him.
"Don't have to. Don't have anywhere to be today," he replied.
"Mmm, good."
They both quickly fell back to sleep.
It was Andy that woke up again first. She was tracing patterns on his chest when he woke up a few minutes later. "Hey," he said, his voice still rough from sleep.
"Morning." She lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his lips.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked.
"I don't know. It's supposed to be a beautiful day. We could head down to the harbourfront. See what's going on there," she suggested.
"Okay," he said, rolling them over. "There's one other thing I'd like to do first."
"Oh yeah, what's that?" she asked, even though the kisses he was placing along her neck were her answer.
"You get three guesses," he said, making his way back up to her mouth.
"And if I get it right the first time?"
"You get a prize, McNally." He didn't even wait for her first guess, crushing his lips against hers.
After taking their time getting out of bed, having breakfast and showering, they finally made it out of Sam's apartment. When they got down to the harbourfront, Andy convinced Sam to a game at the new mini golf place that had been built recently.
"You're supposed to go through the windmill," Andy said exasperated, halfway through the game.
"It's easier to go around it," Sam replied.
"But it takes two extra strokes that way," she said stubbornly.
"Why are you so concerned, since more strokes for me works in your favor?"
"Because...because...You're just supposed to go through. No one goes around," she pouted.
"Give me my ball." He reached out his open palm, waiting for her to place the ball she'd confiscated when they finished the hole. She reluctantly gave it to him, and watched as he put it down on the green.
He looked up at her, back at his ball and, on his second try, hit it directly through the tunnel located in the center of the windmill. "Happy?"
She grinned at him like a Cheshire cat, enjoying the view as he bent down to pick up the ball. "Well, your other score counts, so like, I'm still winning."
He shook his head at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way, McNally."
They finished the game and Andy tallied up the score while Sam returned their clubs.
After a few minutes, she started dancing where she stood and Sam knew the results of their game. "You win?" he asked.
"Yup," she said, popping the 'p' as she turned around. "I rocked it." Her dancing was replaced by a big toothy grin from her excitement.
"Nothing you like more than a little competition, huh?" he teased.
"Yeah, that's right," she said, taking the two steps toward him until they were chest to chest. Her arms came around his neck. "Cause I have a special talent."
"Which is?" He couldn't wait to see where this was going.
She pressed her lips against his briefly, before backing away. "Making it up to you when you lose," she said, smiling suggestively.
"McNally," he drawled out as she escaped his grasp.
She backed away from him, heading for the sidewalk with a bounce in her step. "I want ice cream," she said, excitedly.
"Lead the way."
They walked down the harbourfront a little ways and found an ice cream shop. Ice cream cones in hand, they sat down on a bench nearby to enjoy the scenery and people-watch.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her eyeing his ice cream like she always did. He tilted his cone toward her and he saw a grin break out on her face as she tried to stifle a giggle.
She took a lick of his ice cream before scrunching up her nose. "I still don't know why you like it."
"And that's why you want a taste every time we get ice cream?" he teased.
"Trying to convince myself you're not nuts," she said, bumping his shoulder with hers.
"Just enjoy your chocolate chip and I'll enjoy my pistachio."
She turned her head and pressed a gooey kiss to his cheek before returning to her ice cream. They sat there enjoying the quiet day and speculating what kind of people lived in the exquisite yachts docked at the harbor.
After a while, Sam laced his fingers through Andy's, resting their joined hands on her thigh. "Next time our days off fall on a weekend, I, uh, thought we might take a drive down to St. Catharine's," he suggested.
She turned her head toward him as he stared straight ahead. She knew what, or rather who, was in St. Catharine's and what this meant, but she kept quiet so he could finish.
"I'd like you to meet Sarah."
Andy's lips formed a wide smile as she stared back at him. "I'd like that. Like that a lot, Sam."
As if he'd been scared about her response, now that she'd agreed to go, he turned to face her and his lips curved up into a smile. "Wanna walk for a bit?" he asked.
She nodded and they stood up, hands still linked as they walked around the harbourfront. Just as the sun was reaching the horizon, Sam stopped and framed Andy's face with his hands, pulling her close enough to nudge her nose with his. She rested her hands on Sam's waist as he closed the distance to bring their lips together.
A month later, Sam walked into the women's locker room and saw Andy hunched over as she slid on high heels that matched her dress perfectly. His eyes raked over the green and black dress that hugged her body tightly. He let a breathy 'wow' escape before he could consciously put more words together.
Andy blushed as she stood up straight and looked over at him.
"You look beautiful. You almost ready?" he asked. A case had kept them at work late and they had only minutes to spare if they were going to make it to Frank and Noelle's wedding on time. The only saving grace was they had thought to bring their formalwear with them to work that day.
She grabbed her makeup out of her locker and ran over to the mirror. "Yeah, yeah, just another minute," she said, fumbling with her mascara. She quickly finished putting on some light makeup and then tugged on the bottom of some hair that cascaded over her shoulder. "I missed my hair appointment. Ugh," she groaned in frustration.
Sam came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You know I love when your hair is down. You're beautiful." He kissed the side of her head and stepped back.
She pressed her lips together to tamp down a grin as she turned around and took a moment to drink Sam in. The simple black suit he wore, contrasted with a green tie that matched her dress, had him looking sexy. She tugged on his tie playfully. "C'mon handsome, let's go."
They walked into the hotel hand in hand and Sam couldn't help but notice Andy's exuberance about attending a wedding. "You really do love weddings, don't you?" he asked as she grinned at him.
"They're magical. Two people so in love they're committing their lives to each other in front of their family and friends. It's beautiful," she told him cheerfully.
Sam could never understand why people found it so important to get that piece of paper documenting a marriage, but the way she put it actually made sense. It was displaying a love and making a commitment in front of friends and family; making a public statement. He pulled her against him as they stood in the entrance to the ballroom and pressed his lips lightly to hers.
When he pulled back, she smiled at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Keeping his hand in hers she walked them towards a few empty seats she spotted near Oliver and Celery.
Andy's eyes lit up as she watched Noelle walk down the aisle and she had to wipe away a couple tears when she heard the bride and groom recite their vows. Weddings never failed to bring out the emotional side of her.
Sam laid his arm across her shoulders as they sat watching the rest ceremony, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing back and forth against the material of her dress. Every time his thumb hit the skin of her neck, she felt sparks. She was beginning to want to skip the reception and make use of the room they reserved for the weekend.
She shifted around, trying to ignore the feelings he was stirring inside her, and rested her hand on the inside of his leg as she leaned into him. He felt the warmth of her hand through his pants and quickly tried to dislodge the thought of her hand being a few inches higher. As the nail of her index finger casually scratched lightly against the material, he closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. He gently squeezed her shoulder and raised his eyebrows when she glanced over.
Knowing that look, she bit her bottom lip, unaware of what she'd been doing, and moved her hand to the top of his leg, before looking back at the happy couple in the front of the room.
When the ceremony was over, Sam and Andy mingled with others as Noelle and Frank spoke with the officiant. He had his arm around her, his hand splayed across her hip, holding her against his side. When the couple they'd been talking to left to get some champagne, Andy moved to stand in front of Sam and adjusted his tie.
"It was a nice ceremony," she said.
"It was," he agreed.
"They'll be busy taking photos for a bit," she said, looking up at him with a sly smile. He raised his eyebrows as his hands on both her hips pulled her closer. She tugged on his tie as she started to back away. "Come with me."
Sneaking away before anyone could notice, Andy shut the door of the coatroom and flipped the lock. Her hands were cupping his face and bringing their lips together before they could take another step into the room. His hands ran down her sides, feeling every curve of her body through the tight dress, and up her back until he was holding her flush against him.
He backed her up against the closest wall, hands roaming and lips locked to each other. He slid a hand down the skirt of her dress, felt the skin of her upper leg as he brought it up to wrap around his hip. His hand tried pushing the bottom of her dress up, but it was too tight and he abandoned the mission to instead continue caressing her body.
Kissing her way down his neck, her fingers loosened his tie to give her mouth better access to that part of his neck she loved most - where it met with his shoulder. As she sucked on his neck, she felt him harden despite the clothes between them. He framed her face with his hands, moving her head until he could bring his mouth to hers again.
She was getting to work on getting him out of his pants while his mouth trailed down her jaw and neck, careful not to leave any marks. By the time she had his pants undone, he was impatiently trying to get her dress out of the way. "God, is this thing painted on?" he questioned, between panted breaths.
Andy laughed at his frustration, but shifted around to help him push the bottom of her dress up. She couldn't believe they were doing this here, in a coatroom, dozens of feet from their friends. Then again, the time they'd had sex in the observation room at the station they were only feet from coworkers. So, yeah, this might be a thing for them.
It was exhilarating, the thought of being caught, the thought of being so intimate while no one was the wiser. It helped her crash over the peak faster than usual, and she held onto Sam tight as he found his own release a minute later.
Andy leaned back against the wall as they caught their breath.
"You know, we do have a room, with a bed, like two floors above us," he said, smirking.
"But then we'd never make it back to the reception," she replied.
He let her feet slid down to the floor and waited until she was steady before he took a step back. "And that would be a problem because…" he said, as they straightened out their clothes.
"Sam! They're our friends. We need to celebrate with them. We want to celebrate with them," she said, watching him put his jacket back on.
"Yeah, yeah, let's get back out there." He really did want to celebrate their friends' happy occasion, but he also enjoyed teasing her.
Andy walked up to him and straightened his tie, tugging gently as she looked up at him. "Be nice. It's Frank and Noelle's wedding, but I might just have a present for you later." She pressed her lips to his quickly before heading to the door.
After dinner was eaten, the cake was shared and first dances were had, Sam saw Frank at the bar and wanted to congratulate his friend again. "Hey Frank," he said, slapping a friendly hand on his back.
"Sammy, you having a good time?"
Sam nodded. "I'm happy for you guys, that you're both happy."
Frank took a sip of his drink as they leaned back against the bar. "Noelle's it. She's the real thing. I was married twice before but it was never like this."
"How do you know? That it's different, that it's real?" Sam asked.
Frank tore his eyes from where they were focused on his wife across the room and looked over at his friend. "A neighborhood like mine, you grow up thinking that real men didn't show how they feel, you know. But it was an act, macho crap," he said. "But Noelle never bought into it. To this day, she pulls me close and, uh, if I'm holding back, she says 'It's just me, Frank.' You know it's real when she makes you better. Even though it's tough sometimes, but you're grateful."
Sam took a slow sip of his drink as he thought about what his friend had said. When she makes you better, he replayed in his head. That's exactly what Andy did. They'd had their share of tough times, but he was always grateful she was in his life. She made him better.
Lost in his own thoughts, he almost didn't notice Noelle coming over and telling Frank about some family member who wanted to talk to him. Frank excused himself and she took his place next to Sam as he snapped himself back to the present.
"Congratulations, Noelle. You both deserve this happiness," he told her.
"You'll get there too someday, Sammy," Noelle said as they gazed out over the dance floor.
He watched Andy dancing and laughing with Chris, Gail, Holly, Dov, Chloe and Celery. He couldn't take his eyes off her actually. "She's beautiful." The words came out quietly before he had a chance to censor himself.
"Don't let her go this time," Noelle said, giving his cheek a playful slap as she walked away.
"I don't plan to," he mumbled to himself.
Content to stand there and watch his girlfriend, Sam took a sip of his beer while his free hand slid into his pocket. His fingertips instantly hit metal and a jolt of sadness surged through him. He hadn't thought about how Jerry was supposed to be the next of them to get married. He hadn't allowed himself to wallow in the sadness that those thoughts gave him…until now.
He'd been fine until he put his hand in his pocket and felt the watch Jerry had given him as a best man gift. He always kept it on him, no matter what, but he suddenly regretted the reminder it brought him tonight. Needing to get away from everyone for a bit, he walked to the far end of the room and found a place to sit down and think.
A short time later, one of Andy's favorite songs came on and it was a slow one so she knew it wouldn't be too hard to convince Sam to join her for a dance. Not seeing him at the bar anymore, she looked around and saw him sitting on a window bench at the far end of the room. Even from where she stood, she could see the somber look on his face and wondered what happened.
She walked over to him and sat down without a word. She brushed her shoulder against his, a simple touch to let him know she was there for him, but remained quiet. They sat there, both sets of eyes traveling around the room watching their friends celebrate, but neither saying a word.
She felt movement from Sam and glanced down to see him pulling the watch from his pocket. She watched him look down at it as his thumb rubbed over the engraving.
Andy heard him push out a small breath and looked up to face him. She knew immediately what had made him so sad. "This was supposed to be - "
"I know," he said, interrupting her. "I can't, okay." He started to push himself off the bench, but Andy's long fingers wrapped around his arm.
"No. Don't do that, Sam. Don't shut me out." She loosened her grasp when his body relaxed into the seat again. "This was supposed to be Jerry and Traci. I know, okay. It's difficult. I just...whatever you're feeling right now, let me be there for you. It's me, Sam, it's just me."
The seconds ticked by one by one as her eyes roamed his face, waiting for him to make the next move, waiting for him to say something.
"It was supposed to be different," he said quietly. "He was supposed to be getting me drunk to get on the damn plane. He was supposed to be there so I could tease him about getting hitched. He was..." When his voice cracked, he took a deep breath before continuing. "He's supposed to be here."
Andy took the hand that rested on his thigh in hers and leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew there was nothing she could really say to make it better, but she wanted him to know she was here for him. "There will always be reminders of him. Eventually, maybe those reminders will bring about happy memories. Until then, I'm here to listen."
Sam remained silent, but his thumb brushing across her knuckles told her he heard what she said. She wasn't going to force him to talk or force him to think about Jerry even more than he already was. She was simply going to be here for him.
After sitting in silence for a while longer, Andy stood up, still holding his hand in hers. "Dance with me Sam."
"Andy..."
"Come on. One dance then we'll get you so drunk, Oliver will be pulling you off the dance floor," she teased, grinning down at him.
He couldn't help but chuckle as he stood up and let her lead him to the dance floor. A ballad had just begun and Sam watched as their friends held their loved ones close. As Andy's arms slid around his neck, Sam wrapped his arms around her waist. As they swayed to the music, he tilted his head down and nudged her nose with his. "Love you," he whispered.
She smiled and brought her lips up to his, pressing them together gently as the soft music floated through the air. Opening her eyes and pulling her face back an inch, she smiled at him. "I love you too."
She rested her head on his shoulder with one arm around his back and a hand on his chest. One of his hands slid up her back to rest between her shoulder blades, the other laid on top of her hand on his chest.
Andy thought about how tonight would have gone very differently if it happened a year ago. She would've pushed Sam too far and wouldn't have known when to stop when she saw something was bothering him. He'd be annoyed, she'd be annoyed, and they probably wouldn't be speaking right now, let alone dancing. But they'd changed, they'd grown, and they'd done it together. She felt like they got through what might have been the biggest obstacle in their relationship; themselves.
Sam's head was in similar place to Andy's as they held each other close. He thought about how they'd both changed over the last year. It had been change or die for him. Become the person he needed to be, for himself and for those he loved most, or die from heartache. And now, they were both in a good place; they could keep moving forward, with all the ups and downs along the way, to spend the rest of their lives together.
The End.
A/N: Initially, the wedding was going to be earlier in the story, but I decided to end with it because Sam and Andy exploded when Jerry died and Sam couldn't handle his friend's death. In this story, we saw both of them grow and change as they fell even deeper in love, and I feel that Sam was able to come full circle about Jerry's death with his thoughts at the wedding. And therefore, Sam and Andy's relationship was able to come full circle as well. :)
