Welcome back! Thanks for the awesome reviews, and the follows/favourites.

Note: This story basically assumes that everything from season 1 took place. When it comes to season 2, however, that's not the case. The end of season 2 (as wonderful as it was) did NOT happen, AND Luke did NOT cheat on Andy with Jo or with anyone else. With that in mind, Luke and Andy did NOT have a rushed engagement / the wedding day was NOT bumped up – rather, it's a prolonged engagement. Now, this is where it might become more confusing. Some cases from season 3 are assumed to have happened. In the very least, Sam refers to one case in this chapter that is from season 3, but in this story, because the end of season 2 is erased, I'm doing some rearranging and saying that part of season 3 replaced it. I don't think this should be too confusing (?) as long as you remember that the end of s2 is irrelevant, Luke and Andy had a longer engagement, and with the exception of the night of the blackout and flirting, nothing has actually happened between Sam and Andy. If anyone has any questions though, let me know and I'll try to answer and clarify things a little more.

Recap: Andy wakes up in the hospital after having been shot in the back of the head – she soon discovers that she's suffering from severe memory loss and can only remember the events from the day of the accident. Andy's drawn to Sam, but is confused to learn that she's engaged to Luke, a man that made a really bad "first" impression on her. While at a scene, Sam buys a stuffed animal poodle that reminds him of his conversation with Andy at the hospital. He also promises her that he'll be at the hospital when she wakes up, even though he's had enough experience as a cop to know that things can always come up last minute. In the end, Sam is just barely able to keep his promise, but things quickly become tense with Andy. Although they manage to smooth things over, Luke tries to throw a wrench into the mix when he asks a nurse to restrict Sam's visitor access... The doctors notify Andy that she can start walking, so she gets Sam to accompany her. In the process, Sam almost kisses her - more than once - the most obvious and closest time being the last one. Andy is left completely confused when Sam suddenly backs off and pretends he's trying to examine her head injury instead. Andy is released from the hospital and is shocked to discover that she lives with Luke. Terrified, she texts and calls Sam for help, but in the end, still has to face Luke... She ends up falling asleep that night to Sam's voice on the phone. Luke takes Andy to The Penny, but she finds herself overwhelmed. Sam takes her to see her dad and then Frank. While at the station, Andy overhears Jerry talking on the phone and learns that Sam is going on a date. Andy leaves a very confused Sam standing in 15 Division's parking lot. He ends up backtracking and determines that Jerry did something to upset Andy, but his friend is hiding from him and when he goes to get answers from Andy the next day, she shuts him out completely. Friday rolls around and Sam finally learns (from Traci) that Andy's upset because she thinks Sam is going on a date. Sam's furious and a heartbroken Andy finds some comfort in Luke.

The next morning… (Saturday morning)

Andy tossed down her pen and let out a frustrated sigh. "What the hell is wrong with me?" she groaned, shoving her textbooks away. One week. That's how long she had to study for her written exam. And if she failed… She didn't want to think about what would happen then. The most frustrating thing was that she'd clearly become a cop, which meant somewhere along the way she had learned this stuff and passed the exam, but right now, nothing looked familiar. And it didn't help that her mind kept returning to Sam. He'd text her the night before saying they needed to talk. Great. So, even though they weren't talking, he probably wanted to tell her how his date went. Or maybe his girlfriend was upset about how much time he'd spent with her, so he was going to tell her that she'd been right about needing space.

After staring blankly at the books for another minute or so, she let out a loud breath, feeling completely defeated as she reached for her phone.

"McNally? You okay?" the voice on the other end of the line said.

"Hey Oliver," Andy replied. "Yeah, I'm okay... Umm, are you free today?" She bit down on her lower lip. "It's just… Frank said the only way I can come back to work is if I pass all of the police exams again, so umm, I'm trying to study for my written test now, but I'm kind of stuck. And, I was hoping you could help."

Oliver's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah, sure." With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he rhymed off an address. "Everything okay though?"

"Yeah, uh, it's just a lot harder than I thought, you know? And I really want to pass, but I can't seem to focus, and since you said we worked together a bit, I thought maybe you could help me out a little… If you have time."

"Yeah, not a problem McNally," Oliver said with a smile. The second the call was disconnected he hit two on his speed dial.

"Hello?" said a gruff voice.

"Hey Sammy," Oliver said with a grin.

Sam's eyes flicked to the clock and a groan escaped him. "Ollie, it's eight o'clock and it's my day off. What do you want?"

"Are you alone?

"What do you think?" Sam snapped.

Oliver hesitated. "Probably a dumb question considering I haven't seen you with another woman since McNally started, but I need to be sure."

Sam sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I'm alone," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Now what do you want because I'm pretty sure how I spend my nights isn't the reason you really called?"

"No, but I do think that you need to cancel whatever plans you have for today and get up."

"Oliver," Sam growled.

"Like right now would be good," Oliver continued. "Because McNally asked me for help and I may have just sent her your way."

"What?" He bolted upright in his bed.

"You did say you were alone, right?" Oliver said, suddenly a little worried.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam rushed out. "But why'd you do that?"

"Figured this was a better approach... And it might help me get back in your good books."

Sam rubbed his face. There was something in his friend's voice… guilt? "She doesn't know, does she?"

Oliver hesitated. "She might be a little surprised when you open the door instead of me."

Sam let out a loud breath. "Why'd she call you anyway?"

"To get help studying. But you had the biggest hand in training her, so you know, I figured that might help..."

Silence.

"She'll probably be there any minute though."

"Got it," Sam said, disconnecting the call and falling back on his pillows again. He let out a dry chuckle. Andy was in for one hell of a surprise. Now he just had to figure out what to tell her. He lay there for another minute before dragging himself out of bed and into the shower.

By the time he was fully dressed, he heard a soft knock on the door. Pulling it open, he couldn't help but smile at her. "Hey," he said, pulling the door open a little more and stepping aside so she could come in.

"Uh, hey," she said quietly, her eyebrows shooting upward in surprise. Her eyes flicked to the number on the house, then over her shoulder, and back to him. "Umm…" She frowned. "Are… are you staying with Oliver?"

His lips twitched, but he managed to hold back a smile. "No."

Andy's frown deepened. Her heart was pounding. What was going on? "Oh… well, umm, is he here?"

"Oliver?"

Andy nodded.

With a shake of his head, Sam said, "He's probably at home with his wife and kids."

"At home?" She threw her hands up to her face and groaned. When she finally dropped them, she sighed and said, "Oh, umm, I guess I uh…" She shook her head. "Sorry. I… I didn't mean to come here." She stepped back. She couldn't do this. No matter how much help she needed, she had to let him go. That's why she'd called Oliver instead. But apparently the man had other ideas. "I shouldn't be here… I didn't know," she stammered, making a random hand gesture to the house. Suddenly feeling incredibly awkward, she added, "I'm just going to go now."

Sam leapt forward and reached out, stopping her from backing up even more. "You want help? I'll help you."

Her eyes widened. "Oliver told you? Did you—?" For a brief moment she wondered if Sam had been responsible, but then mentally shook herself. There's no way he could have known that she would called Oliver for help before she'd even made the call. And, Sam was clearly seeing someone, so why go through the effort to get her to come to his house? Quite simply, he wouldn't. Before she could even try to backtrack, Sam interrupted.

"I got the wakeup call about ten minutes ago."

Her eyes flicked up and down, taking in his appearance. Despite showering, it did look like he'd just woken up. She swallowed hard. Feeling embarrassed, she let slip an, "Oh," then fell silent.

"So you want help?"

Andy swallowed hard. If he'd taken the woman home, maybe she was still in there. Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. "No… no, I'm good. I'm just, umm… I'm fine."

Liar, he thought. "McNally," he said, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Come inside."

After glancing over his shoulder a little hesitantly, she shook her head again. "Nope." She was not setting foot in his house. Not going to see the woman he went on a date with. Not happening.

Sam tried to hold it back, but the look on her face was priceless, and in the end, the laughter erupted from his throat. "Nobody's in there."

A faint blush spread across her cheeks. Okay, so maybe the woman had already left. "I didn't ask," she shot back, before pressing her lips together again and glaring at him.

With a gentle tug, he drew her closer to him, then hesitantly reached up and cupped her face. "Look at me."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I need to go."

He hesitated, then tilted her head upward just a little. The contact had her eyes snapping open. Still, she wouldn't look at him. With a sigh, he said, "Whatever you heard Jerry say, it isn't true."

Andy shifted uncomfortably. What wasn't true? The time of the date? The location? And why was he even bringing Jerry up? Did he know? Did Traci tell him?

"Jerry doesn't always think before he acts," Sam said, trying not to growl it out.

Silence.

"Hey," he said, ducking his head a little to try to meet her gaze. "Whoever she is, I didn't see her and I'm not going to," he said softly.

Her eyes slowly trailed upwards until they met his.

"I didn't know… about any of it."

Andy's eyes flicked back to the ground and she found herself drawing in a large breath. Why was he even telling her this? Not that she didn't appreciate hearing it, but… did he know? She swallowed hard, then abruptly changed the topic, trying to distract herself from the feeling of his hands on her face. "I tried to look through the books, but I don't even know where to start, and I was going to ask Traci, but she's working today and I don't want to wait until the end of her shift because you know, there isn't that much time, and if I wait then that's less time… and I don't even know what I'm doing, but I just, I need to start, and Oliver said he'd help, but he sent me here and I didn't know you—"

"McNally, it's fine," he said, chuckling as his hands slid down to hers. "Get in here." He tugged so that she followed him inside, his eyes on her face the entire time. She was so… different, and yet, there were still some aspects of her that hadn't changed. It was bizarre to see.

She bit down on her lower lip and nodded before a small smile broke out on her face. When he didn't release her hands, she awkwardly slid out of her shoes and watched him nudge the front door shut, her heart pounding heavily in her chest as she waited.

Seeing her eyes cautiously looking around, he bit back a grin. "You can look around if you want. Check under the bed, in the closets… just to make sure nobody's here."

Her head snapped back in his direction and her eyes narrowed as she yanked her hands free. Not only did he know, but he was actually making fun of her.

Sam merely shrugged and winked at her before walking towards the kitchen, knowing that this time, she'd follow. As he moved to go around the kitchen counter, he tapped one of the stools, watching as she set her bag on the counter and slid onto the stool, pulling one leg up with her.

"Eaten yet?" he asked, barely able to contain his grin. If he had any doubts that she'd been bothered by the thought of him going on a date before, that was erased now. The sudden shift in her demeanour was obvious. Sure, she still seemed a little nervous, but at least she was in his house. She wasn't pushing him away.

"Uh," she began, a frown forming on her face. Hearing her stomach growl, she shook her head. She'd been too preoccupied that morning to even think of food, but hearing the growl suddenly made her regret not eating.

Sam laughed, earning himself another glare, but he merely shrugged it off and smiled as he turned toward the fridge and began pulling out various vegetables to put in an omelet.

Andy tried not to stare, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away as she watched him work. It didn't help that he was wearing a tight t-shirt too, so every time he moved, she could see his muscles working.

"So…" Sam began, but he fell silent as he glanced over his shoulder and caught her staring.

Andy's face started to burn, so she swung the stool around and stared out towards the living room, taking a few deep breaths in an effort to compose herself.

With a stupid grin on his face, Sam turned back to the food in front of him, resisting the urge to look back when he heard the stool move again and felt her eyes on him. He'd much rather be staring at her, but if she wanted to look, he wasn't about to stop her. He knocked the peppers into two bowls, then cut up some mushrooms and dumped them in one. He moved to grab a tomato, but hesitated and finally turned back to find her frowning.

"You didn't like mushrooms before, but do you want to try one just to make sure?"

Andy stared at the piece of mushroom he was holding out to her. It looked nasty, but she shrugged and took it anyway. As she bit into the rubbery texture, her face immediately scrunched up in disgust.

Through his laughter, Sam grabbed a glass and poured some juice in it so that she could wash the mushroom down, letting his fingers brush against hers as he handed it to her.

"No, no, those are nasty," she said, after taking a large gulp of juice.

Ten minutes later the food was done and they were eating.

"This is really good," Andy said, swallowing the first bite of her omelet and looking over at Sam with a shy smile on her face. They really hadn't spoken much since she'd come inside, but a lot of the tension seemed to have lifted anyway.

He returned the smile, but said nothing.

A frown slowly formed on her face. "Have I had this before?"

"Nope," he replied. No doubt she would have if she'd been his, but she never really had been.

Andy merely nodded, her mind racing. If she hadn't had it before, then she likely never stayed the night and if she hadn't stayed the night, then nothing had ever happened between them. The fact that she wasn't sure how to feel about this bothered her.

"So how far have you gotten?" Sam asked, gesturing to the books before Andy could dwell on things further.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I, umm… Well, I started reading it, but I just don't even really know where to start and none of it's sticking." She let out a frustrated sigh and vocalized her thoughts from earlier. "It's just so frustrating because I had to have read all of this before, but I don't recognize any of it. So it's like it's all new to me. Everything is new to me."

"Give it time," he said, resisting the urge to cover her hand with his. "Whether you remember or not, you'll make it through all of this."

"I wish I could believe that," she said, a sad smile on her face. "But it's just so overwhelming. All of it." She laughed dryly. "I mean, of my entire life, I only remember one day, and none of it makes sense."

Sam put down his fork and turned to face her, putting one hand on her knee and gently pulling so that her stool turned and she was facing him too. "Awhile back, Epstein… Dov… shot a guy in a convenience store. It was a clean shoot, but at the time we only had Dov's shaken account of things because we couldn't find the perp's gun, and the storeowner kept saying there wasn't one. So, naturally, Epstein started questioning what he'd seen. If the perp really had a gun, or if it had actually been a cell phone." He paused, making sure she was listening before continuing. "It happened in a rough neighbourhood, not overly cop friendly. So, things got pretty heated, and there were a lot of questions running through the station. But, you didn't doubt for a second that Dov had seen a gun, even though you didn't have any proof. You were just so stubborn, determined to find some sort of evidence to prove that it was a clean shoot… And you did. You went back to the convenience store, found the bullet from the other gun, figured out how the gun disappeared, and we ended up solving the case. You proved it was a clean shoot."

"But what does that have to do with—?"

Sam finally removed his hand from her knee and held it up to silence her. "You weren't there when Epstein shot the guy. You heard his shaken account… bits and pieces of a confusing story. So, that day, you didn't know much, but in the end, you found a way to figure it out. And right now, you might not remember much or anything, and it might be confusing and seem impossible, but that's how it was that day. So, you'll figure it out again. You'll find a way."

A smile graced Andy's lips. "Thank you," she said quietly.

With a nod he turned his attention back to the books in front of him and opened one as he took another bite of his omelet. For the next few hours he flipped through the first book and explained anything he thought was important, providing her with examples based on his own experience whenever he thought it would help. Once it hit noon, however, he got to his feet and pulled her toward the front door. "We're taking a break," he explained, upon seeing her confusion.

Sliding her feet back into her shoes, Andy followed him out of the house and down several blocks to a diner.

They'd been looking over the menus for about ten minutes before he closed his own and looked up at her. "Know what you're getting yet?"

She bit her lip, hesitating a moment before pointing to some sort of turkey sandwich on the menu. Seeing him give a subtle shake of his head, she frowned and slid her finger down one to the chicken sandwich.

"Probably," Sam said. Before he could say anything else, the waitress appeared at their booth. "Fries or poutine on the side?" the woman asked Andy after she'd ordered her sandwich. "And what type of sauce on the sandwich?"

Andy stared up at the woman, stumped. "Uhh…" Her face crumpled.

"Fries, extra mayo on the sandwich and sauce on the side," Sam said, his eyes still on Andy.

Her head snapped up in Sam's direction, eyes wide before she smiled. The waitress then took his order and vanished.

"We've been here?" Andy asked hesitantly.

"Nope."

She frowned.

"We've been partners long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what you do and don't like," Sam said as his only explanation.

Her frown deepened. "And how long have I known Luke?"

Sam struggled not to grimace. She was definitely comparing them. His eyes traveled upward until they met hers. "You met him your first day as a rookie, and have been with him since about a month in, maybe sooner."

"So, as long as I've known you?"

He nodded.

"Hmmm."

"What?" he pressed, not really sure if he wanted to know.

"Nothing." Knowing he was going to question her further, she changed the topic again. "You know, it's really stupid. I seem to remember how to do math, and write and spell, but when it comes to how most food tastes or how some things smell, there's nothing. I just don't remember. It's like I'm eating everything for the first time, which is really weird, right? I mean, you'd think I'd forget something like writing since it has to be taught, but instead I hardly know ketchup from…" She wracked her brains, trying to remember what the other sauce was that she'd recently had. "BBQ sauce." Her tone was slightly questioning, but seeing Sam nod, she continued. "It's just stupid and frustrating, but I guess it's more useful to be able to read and write than know about sauces and food… Or I suppose I could have forgotten how to speak." She made a face. "I think I would rather of died than forget how to speak or walk…"

He set his coffee cup down a lot harder than intended, causing her to jump. "Don't ever say that again." It came out as a growl.

Andy's eyes widened, her mouth falling open slightly. He looked mad, really mad. She swallowed hard and turned her attention to the window to her left, staring but not really seeing. Her mind was still set on Sam.

He rubbed his face and took a few calming breaths before trying to start up another conversation. He knew he should apologize, but he meant what he said. "Why didn't you ask Luke for help studying?"

She shrugged. "He hasn't been around much."

He felt his anger bump back up a notch. How could Callaghan leave her alone so much, especially when she was still recovering? Not that he wanted the man anywhere near her, but she shouldn't be alone.

Seeing the change in his disposition, Andy said, "I don't mind, really. It's weird enough when he isn't there… and when he is, it's… I guess, it's kind of less awkward and more peaceful when he isn't there." She clapped a hand over her mouth. "I mean…" She paused, trying to come up with an excuse, but she was drawing blanks. "That sounded really bad, didn't it?"

Sam felt his anger start to fade. His lips twitched. Had he not been so angry just moments before, he probably would have laughed too. "You're allowed to have an opinion."

"Yeah but I'm kind of engaged to him, right? So it shouldn't be weird. I mean, I'm starting to know him better, and he really isn't as bad as I first thought. He can actually be nice and sweet, but the whole thing is just really weird."

Sam shrugged.

"It's kind of like living someone else's life. Nothing seems right, but I guess it just takes time."

He met her eyes again and could tell she was looking for something. "Maybe, maybe not. I guess it's like you're an outsider looking at Andy McNally's life. So, maybe you'll find a new perspective and change."

She considered what he'd said for a moment. "Maybe."

They sat in silence until the food came. This time though, it wasn't tense; it was… comfortable.

About halfway through his sandwich, Sam realized she was staring at it. He bit back a smirk and held it out to her, watching as she hesitantly accepted it and took a bite before returning it. She looked thoughtful for a moment, but soon after she swallowed, she nodded. "Chicken is better than turkey."

He smiled, but said nothing, continuing to watch her as she ate.

"What?" she said, finally realizing he was staring.

Sam shook his head. "It's just really odd. You might be a little different than you were before, but you still have a lot of the same quirks."

"Like what?" she said, shooting him a questioning look.

He smirked. "Like that," Sam said, suggesting the way she was almost challenging him. "And that," he added, pointing to the way she was putting ketchup on each individual fry rather than dipping them. "You still bite your lower lip when you're thinking hard, and find something to occupy your hands when you're nervous."

She unconsciously bit down on her lower lip as she stared at him. Did Luke notice these things? It was a long moment before she held out her left hand to show him her ring. The ring she only wore because it seemed to be expected. Because she was apparently engaged, a thought that still seemed mind boggling. "And is this me?"

He glanced at the ring, then looked back at her. "No."

"So it's wrong?"

"Completely."

"That's what I thought," she said quietly, surprising him. "The house is too."

"Wrong?" he pressed.

"Yeah," she replied. "The view is nice and it's a great place, but it just doesn't feel like home... The stupid thing is, so many things feel wrong, but I don't know if it's just because I don't remember or if they're actually wrong."

"What does your gut tell you?" Sam asked.

She hesitated, eating her last fry as she considered his question. As she opened her mouth to respond, however, the waitress came by and gave them their bill.

Seeing Andy's fingers curl around her wallet, he reached forward and, without thinking, put his hand over hers. Her skin felt soft and warm up against his slightly calloused hand.

At the contact, her head snapped up and her eyes settled on his face as a frown creased her forehead.

"I'll get it," he said, giving her a small smile.

Her frown deepened. "But you're the one helping me," she replied. Then shooting him a look that dared him to argue, she added, "I'm getting it."

Sam ran his tongue over his teeth before pulling the bill away. "Not a chance, McNally."

Andy quirked an eyebrow, then abruptly yanked her hand out from under his and stood up.

Thinking she was angry, he reached out to stop her from leaving, but she swatted his hand away and slid onto his side of the booth.

"What are you—?" Sam began, but a grunt escaped him as she used her entire body to shove him into the wall. "McNally," he groaned.

She smirked as she pinned one of his arms and snatched the bill out of his other hand. "Not a chance, eh?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Happy?"

"Very," she replied, flashing him a smile.

He turned to look at her, an eyebrow quirked, but she was too busy looking at the bill and digging in her wallet. She really did look happy, but the thought left him perplexed. Sure, Andy was a little unusual in some regards, but being happy about paying a bill? His eyes flicked up and down. Was she feeling okay?

Unaware of Sam's current train of thought, Andy pulled out some cash and set it down with the bill, then tossed her wallet back down on the table.

The movement snapped Sam out of his thoughts. She was close, extremely close, and with his right arm pressed right up against the wall and his left arm touching her... He took a deep breath. Maybe she didn't realize? But even after several minutes passed, she still didn't move, so he tried to shift a little. Not that he really had anywhere to go, or didn't enjoy being this close to her, but considering she was living in another man's house and was maybe still engaged, the contact was just making things really uncomfortable. That's when he saw the smirk on her face. Yeah, she knew alright. His eyes narrowed.

"Comfy?" Andy asked without looking at him. She sounded so innocent, and if she didn't still have the smirk plastered on her face, then he may have continued to believe that she was actually unaware of just how close they were and just how much she was effecting him.

"Very," he replied, trying to get a sense of what game she was playing.

Andy laughed. As her eyes scanned the diner she said, "Good, because I'm not moving."

In an attempt to distract himself, Sam reached to take another sip of coffee, but found his cup empty. Nevertheless, he picked it up and raised it to his lips hoping that she wouldn't notice.

"That good?" she asked, smiling over at him.

His heart rate picked up. Did she just bust him?

"Didn't want to waste a drop?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He smirked and set the cup down, a spell of silence encompassing them as they both looked for the waitress. Where the hell was she?

"Do you want more?"

"Nope," Sam replied, doing his best to look straight ahead now. Every time his eyes shot outward, they seemed to stray until they came to rest on her. And every time she moved, she seemed to lean into him a little more, making it increasingly difficult for him to refrain from wrapping his arms around her or touch her in anyway beyond their current contact. The second she turned to him and started talking, he lost it. Her breath was fanning out across his face, and he knew that if she didn't back off soon, then he wouldn't be able to stop himself from kissing her this time. He mentally shook himself. He needed to put some space between them, but he couldn't make her think that he didn't want her close, not when they'd finally recovered from the last incident. With that in mind, he took a deep breath and did something he never thought he'd do to her, especially while she was with Callaghan. He tickled her.

He'd barely touched her when she burst out laughing, but instead of moving away, she fell into him, squirming up against his chest. So, he did the only thing he could think of that wouldn't completely cross any lines. He tickled her some more, ignoring the stares of the other customers as they looked for the source of the outburst. This time she scrambled away, her hands reaching out to snatch his in an effort to stop him, but the more he tickled her, the less he wanted to stop and the more effort he put into it. Quite simply, she seemed so carefree, and the look on her face and the laughter that was erupting from her, had him smiling too. It just felt right.

Andy squirmed some more, but he didn't let up, not even when his plan backfired again and she fell sideways on the bench, her legs hanging off the end as her head fell into his lap. "Okay, okay, stop, stop, I surrender," she managed to spit out amidst the laughter, flinging her hands above her head as she struggled to see through the tears.

Sam's hands paused for a moment as he looked down at her, a massive grin on his face. "I don't know, McNally. You gonna be nice now?" He moved his hands as if he was going to tickle her again and she instantly scrunched up a little to protect herself.

"Not a chance," she threw back at him, struggling to catch her breath.

That reminded him of something. Not the words, but the way she was positioned. "McNally..." He paused. "When do you have to do the physical test? Like the fitness and shooting exams?"

She looked up at him, her head still resting on his lap. "Two weeks after the written one."

"And you take the written one at the end of the week?"

"Yeah."

"That seems so soon," Sam said, frowning.

Andy shrugged. "The bruise is fading and apparently my head is healing okay, so they're not too worried. The biggest thing is not remembering anything."

"Did Frank say how long you'd be on desk duty?"

She nodded. "If I pass, then a week or so on desk duty and then the streets."

"Are you ready for that?" Sam asked, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.

She sat up and turned to look at him. "I guess so. I mean, I don't know. If I pass and I'm cleared by the shrink then I must be, right?"

Sam hesitated. "I guess just see how you feel. If you think you're ready, you can try it. If not, there's nothing wrong with taking some time to adjust again."

Andy nodded.

"So, who's helping you with the physical training?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far yet," Andy admitted. "I'm still trying to figure out how to pass the written exam."

"I can help you," Sam offered. "We still have six days to go through all of the written material, but we could gradually work on the physical stuff and then next week and the week after, just focus on that?"

Andy studied him for a moment. "That would take up three whole weeks of your time," she said, shaking her head. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm offering."

She shook her head again. "That's three weeks Sam, that's a lot of time… You have a job and a life. And your girlfriend probably won't appreciate it either."

He gave her an odd look. He thought that had been cleared up already. Yet, here she was, seemingly genuinely concerned. Or, fishing? The thought made him frown. Until recently, that part of his life had never been brought up before, but considering he'd gone to see her at the hospital everyday and they'd almost kissed, surely she had to know? "I don't have a girlfriend, McNally, and I have a lot of time saved up so I'm pretty sure Frank won't mind if I use it to help get you back on your feet faster."

Her heart did a little flip. "Well, how are you supposed to get a girlfriend if you're stuck helping me for three weeks?"

"Pretty sure I can handle it," Sam said, then realizing she could easily misinterpret that, he added, "And I'm not interested in meeting someone new. I want to help my partner."

"Okay," she said, doing her best to withhold a smile, despite the funny sensation in the pit of her stomach that was making her feel a little giddy.

The waitress was back.

Sam could see a faint blush enter Andy's cheeks, but she immediately took the money from the waitress, threw down a tip and left the diner in a hurry before it could get worse. Sam followed her, frowning. "You okay?" he asked once he'd caught up.

She was staring into the distance, letting the sound of traffic wash over her and the warmth of the sun kiss her skin. She closed her eyes. Honking. Laughter. Sirens. Warm skin and a refreshing breeze. The smell of flowers, food… and Sam. This was life. This was her life. "Uh huh," she said as she opened her eyes and started walking back down the street toward his house. Glancing over her shoulder, a smile graced her face when she saw him watching her. "Coming?"

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