Welcome back! You guys are AWESOME. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, follows, and favourites. It's always a highlight of mine to read your comments, so please continue to let me know what you think!
Alright, so I know some of you asked some questions in your reviews, but hang in there, you'll get your answers in the subsequent chapters. Because of that, I don't want to spoil anything by answering them now. Keep the questions coming though because in the instance that I don't address them at some point in the story, I'll try to incorporate the answers when and where I see fit.
As with the last Haunted update, this chapter is dedicated to some of my Twitter followers, one who celebrated her b-day recently, and to a mom-to-be (or now a new mom?). So, again, Happy Birthday, and to the mom-to-be, this chapter is/may be a little early and so is the sentiment but congrats on becoming a mom! Best wishes to both/all of you.
AND a special thank you to svugirl25 for helping me come up with the Oliver/Jerry/Sam academy story. Couldn't have done it without you!
Also, a lot of the jokes in this chapter came from www. hair-loss-is-awesome 100-baldness-jokes /. Now, I should mention that I don't mean to offend anyone with any of the content of this chapter or any other chapter/story. I see absolutely nothing wrong with anyone who is bald or losing their hair, etc., so no offence intended.
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. When Andy can't seem to focus on studying for her police exam, she contacts Oliver, but he sends a completely oblivious Andy to Sam's house instead. Sam reveals that he was never going to go on a date with the woman Jerry tried to set him up with. The tension lifts and Andy admits that Luke's house and the engagement ring feel/seem wrong. After leaving the diner where they have lunch, Andy has a bit of a revelation.
Sam ran a hand over his face as he forced himself to sit up in bed. Bang, bang, bang. With a groan, his feet hit the hardwood floor. "I'm coming," he muttered, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. As he stumbled out of his bedroom, he squinted at his clock… 7:33 a.m. With another groan, he glanced down the hallway, then back at his bed with longing eyes. Ten more minutes, he thought. Whoever it is, just go away and let me sleep for ten more minutes… or twenty… thirty? An hour? No, McNally will be here in half an hour. So half an hour of sleep, that's all. Thirty minutes so she doesn't think I'm— "I'm coming," he growled out as the banging started up again. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he forced himself to head downstairs to see who the hell was waking him up at this time. He was sure he'd told her to come at 8:00 a.m., and knowing her, she'd be late. His mind went back to the day before. Yeah, he'd definitely told her eight. As thoughts and memories of the day before came back to him, his lips twitched and his anger slipped a notch. Those thoughts, they were the reason he hadn't been able to sleep well – his mind had been reeling the night before, keeping him up late as thoughts of her played through his head on repeat. As he reached for the doorknob and opened the front door, the yawn he'd been struggling to hold back overcame him.
"Tired?"
His heart rate picked up and his lips twitched again upon seeing her. Getting out of bed half an hour early suddenly didn't seem so bad. "I must have slept through my alarm," he said a little groggily, willing himself to wake up a little more. As it was, he hadn't showered or changed out of his pyjamas. He'd just jumped out of bed and stumbled straight to the door.
Guilt swept across her face. "Well, umm, I'm kind of early," Andy said, biting down on her lower lip before shoving a cup of coffee in his direction and giving him an apologetic smile.
"Is that a bribe?" he asked, a smirk on his face as he stepped back to let her in. Yeah, he could definitely deal with the early wakeup call now, coffee or no coffee. "Wake me up and pay me off with caffeine?"
"It's just… I couldn't sleep, and umm, I waited. I really did. But, I was bored, Sam. So bored," she said, letting out a sigh. "But I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come yet. I just didn't know what else to do." She let out another breath. "I woke you up, didn't I?"
The guilty expression was back as she looked up at him with her big brown eyes. The same eyes that had him wanting to pull her close and kiss her senseless. He glanced down at his pyjamas, then back up at her. As much as he wanted to deny it to make her feel better, he was positive that it was obvious that he'd just rolled out of bed moments before. "Uh…" he began.
"I'm sorry," she rushed out, her movements becoming nervous. "I'll umm…" I'll what? she thought. Leave? I don't want go. Truth was, she couldn't sleep because she was excited to see him again. So, she tossed and turned until finally giving up and getting dressed. And that's how she came to be on his doorstep at least half an hour early.
He could practically see the gears turning in her head. "McNally, it's fine," he said with a chuckle, taking a sip of coffee and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he steered her down the hallway and into the kitchen. He noted the way she leaned into his body a little, and found himself taking a deep breath to regain his focus, ensuring his hand remained planted firmly on her shoulder and nowhere else.
"You can sleep," Andy said quickly, still overridden with guilt. "I—"
"And let this perfectly good coffee go to waste?" Sam interrupted, quirking an eyebrow. "Not happening." In truth, as good as the coffee was, he didn't give a damn about it. Except that it came from her. What he was more interested in, and what really had him refraining from crawling back under the covers, was her. She'd said she couldn't sleep, so she'd come to him. The thought made him smile, some of the sleepiness fading as he led her to the same stool as before. After stifling another yawn, he said, "Just give me ten minutes to shower and change, and I'll make us something to eat."
She bit down on her lower lip again. "I… I didn't know what you liked." A nervous laugh escaped her. "Or even what I liked. Otherwise I would have gotten something—"
"Well, we'll just have to see then, won't we?" Sam replied, his voice a little deeper and huskier as he met her eyes.
She searched his face until he shot her a small smile and turned and left the room. Her gut told her he wasn't just talking about food, but she wasn't quite sure what he meant. She threw her head into her hands and groaned. This memory loss thing was killing her. The thoughts, the feelings, the confusion. Hardly knowing what was going on in her own head. Not knowing what was going on in his. She let out a frustrated sigh before taking another sip of her coffee.
"Sam?" she called out a little hesitantly as she climbed the stairs and headed down the hallway. Hearing a noise coming from one of the rooms, she cautiously approached it and peered inside, her lips slightly parted to say his name again. But, the second Andy was in the doorway, she froze. His name was lost upon her lips and instead she found herself sucking in a large breath as her eyes widened and her jaw went slack. There, on the other side of the room, was Sam. Leaving the bathroom. Shirtless. Jeans slung low over his hips. Hair still dripping wet. Looking a little rugged with a bit of scruff on his face. And although he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular, he seemed so focused. Completely oblivious to her presence, which meant she was free to gawk. And, unable to stop herself, she did just that. Her eyes traveled over his chest, arms, and then his back as he turned, taking in every muscle.
Her face immediately began to heat up as a drop of water fell from his hair and rolled down his back, making its way along every muscle stretching from his neck to lower back. When her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat a little faster, a silent curse ran through her head. Look away, Andy, she scolded herself. But she couldn't. It was as if she was mesmerized by the way every muscle worked as he moved. It was so effortless, so… She mentally shook herself, struggling to get her breathing back to normal and to get the heat to lift from her body. But her eyes just wouldn't cooperate. So, she attempted to back away from the room, but as she took her first step backward, a floorboard creaked beneath her, immediately drawing Sam's attention. His head snapped up and his eyes settled on her.
"Something you like, McNally?" he asked, running his tongue along the inside of his teeth. Her appearance had startled him a little, but the look on her face had his eyes growing dark.
Wetting her lips, she carefully considered how to answer his question. It was loaded, just like his other one. So, she went with an ambiguous answer, even though she knew it was wrong. But, whether he was asking her if there was something he could help her with, or something she liked seeing, then the answer was the same. Besides, she could easily play it off as the former option, and if questioned further, she would do just that. "Yeah."
"And what's that?" Sam pressed, his tongue moving to the inside of his cheek as he watched her blink hard and attempt to avert her eyes.
"Umm," she began, swallowing hard. "Coffee." It came out a little breathy.
"You want more already?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. He knew she was getting flustered, but the situation was so awkward and simultaneously funny. Not to mention the fact that Andy McNally was once again standing in the doorway to his bedroom, something that hadn't happened in a long time.
Andy hesitated. She still had three-quarters of her coffee left, and if he went downstairs right now and saw it, then he'd know she was lying, but right now, she couldn't remember why she'd sought him out in the first place. "I…" she began, then pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop herself from rambling.
"You're hungry?" Sam suggested, withholding a smirk as he offered her a way out. As much as he really wanted to tease her, he knew that this wasn't easy for her, and he sure as hell wasn't aiming to make things more awkward or difficult for them.
"Starving," she replied after a long moment, and it was sort of true.
Seeing her eyes stray again, he said, "Wanna help me put on a shirt?"
"What?" she asked, eyes snapping back up to his face as a colour crept into her cheeks. Her heart rate had jumped again.
"Just let me put on a shirt," Sam replied, all straight-faced and innocent looking.
"Oh, yeah, umm, of course," she said with a small laugh, though her feet remained firmly planted in the doorway. Was that really what he'd asked the first time? She could have sworn… She mentally shook herself again. She was losing it.
He threw a shirt over his head and pulled it down before turning back to her, barely able to resist the urge to tug her close when he reached the doorway. "Ready?"
Feeling his breath fan out across her face, she blinked hard and nodded, swallowing hard again as his body brushed up against hers when he made to go by her and head back downstairs. Letting out a loud breath, she followed just moments later, her heart still racing.
The day had gone by quickly. They'd made food together several times, pored over her textbooks for hours, and when it became obvious that she was getting tired, he led her over to the couch.
"Where are you going?" Andy asked quietly, reaching out for his hand and gently tugging until he sat down beside her.
"Dishes," he said with a shrug. He was going to let her sleep for a bit, but now that her hand was in his and she showed no signs of wanting to let him leave, he quickly gave up. If she wanted him there, he wasn't about to go. Dishes could wait. Hell, most things could. There wasn't much that would even make him consider getting up from that couch, not with her sitting there beside him.
A small smile formed on her face before it faltered. "You sure you want to keep doing this?"
He regarded her for a moment, thinking she meant helping her study, but simultaneously hoping she meant something more. He inwardly laughed at himself, wondering when he'd become such a sentimental fool. But the answer was simple: if not the day he met her, then it was soon after. He'd seen her do it to other people too. Weasel her way into their hearts and lives. It was the Andy McNally Effect, except out of anyone he knew, he'd gotten the biggest blast of it. And although he'd struggled with coming to terms with it, he knew he couldn't live without her. He didn't want to. And there sure as hell wasn't much or anything that he wouldn't do for her. Looking into her hopeful eyes now, he said, "Yeah."
Her smile widened. "You're umm…" She paused. Once again, Andy was plagued by the question of what Sam was to her. He wasn't just a friend. He was more than that. "You're really sweet," she finally said, unable to figure out what exactly she wanted to say. She bit down on her lower lip. "Thank you for all of this." It came out quiet but sincere.
Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Anytime, McNally. And you aren't so bad yourself."
In an attempt to keep another blush from spreading across her cheeks, she pressed her lips together. And that was when another thought occurred to her. "If I pass everything and they let me back on the force, you'll still be my partner, right?" she asked shyly, her eyes slowly trailing up until they met his.
He hesitated. "It's not really my call."
"But if you have a say…?" Andy pressed, her voice shaking a little from nerves. Her eyes shifted to her lap as she waited for an answer.
With a hand under her chin, he tilted her head back up. "I'm not going anywhere."
The softness in his voice brought her smile back. "Promise?"
Sam let out a breath, but didn't answer right away. "You sure you still want to be partners?" It had taken awhile for the guilt to lessen, but seeing how healthy she now looked helped to some extent. But deep down, he was scared. Terrified that something might come up again and that he wouldn't be able to protect her. And what if next time she didn't make it?
"Always," Andy replied, confidence oozing from her.
He couldn't help but smile back, despite the idea scaring him. "Then… I promise."
"Good." Her smile widened.
They sat there in silence for a minute, hands still joined.
"So, what was that story about Oliver from the academy?" she asked, her eyes flicking back up to his.
"I warned you not to fall asleep. Told you I wouldn't repeat it," he replied with a smirk.
"That's not fair," Andy whined. "I was tired." She moved a little closer so that her knees were touching his thigh. "Come on, Sam. Pleeeeeease?"
"You gonna fall asleep again?" he teased.
She stuck her tongue out at him and narrowed her eyes.
"Do you want it or not?" he asked with another smirk.
She smacked him lightly, feeling her face heat up again. Starting the day off seeing him shirtless had her mind straying all day. And almost every little thing he said somehow had a double meaning, but whether or not it was intentional, she had no idea. All she knew was that she was finding it harder and harder to remain ambiguous.
"Well?"
Andy stared at him for a long moment, her breath hitching once again upon seeing his eyes darken. Or maybe it was just the lighting. She glanced behind her to the window. It was getting dark out. She mentally shook herself. She was seeing things. Reading into things too much. Right?
Stretching a little, he leaned back against the couch and gave into her pleading look. "Alright, McNally, but not a word to anyone," Sam said, his mind already going back to his academy days and, more specifically, to a couple of days in their second month of training.
Flashback to Sam, Oliver, and Jerry's academy days…
"Why don't you just ask her out?" Sam said, kicking his feet up on the coffee table as he took a sip of beer.
"Cherise?" Oliver said, wide-eyed. "As in Cherise Thompson? Are you insane?"
Sam shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Just ask her out for a drink or something."
"Yeah, alright. I'll do that when you ask Julia out," Oliver challenged.
"Buddy, who do you think left our place this morning?" Sam said, a cocky grin on his face.
Jerry held his hand up and high-fived Sam, while Oliver just shook his head. "You know, I think she tried to see her reflection there," Oliver continued, gesturing wildly to the balding spot on his head.
"Come on brother, it's not that shiny," Jerry said before doubling over with laughter.
"Just you wait 'til you start balding, Barber," Oliver replied, eyes narrowed. "See how much you like it when they start cracking jokes about you blinding them with your patch. The sun and moon jokes will start coming, among others. Like how the sun rises twice each morning."
Sam and Jerry both broke out in a fit of laughter.
"Or about how you know you're going bald when the tired housewives start expecting you to leave their kitchens sparkling clean and ask where the cute gold earring went," Oliver continued.
They exchanged looks. "Mr. Clean?" Sam asked a little hesitantly, receiving a small nod from Oliver.
"Oh, I heard one," Jerry piped up. "This guy goes to the doctor and asks for something to keep his hair in, so the doctor turns and says, 'Yeah, here's a paper bag.' Get it? A paper bag to put his hair in."
Sam quirked an eyebrow. Some of the jokes were worse than the ones he'd read as a kid, and those ones had been pretty bad. "That's the best you guys have heard?"
"You've got better? Let's hear it," Jerry demanded, taking a sip of beer.
"Don't have one," Sam replied, smirking, but a moment later, he said, "Bald Bill is so bald that he took a shower and got brain-washed."
"See," Oliver exclaimed, gesturing wildly at Sam as Jerry roared with laughter. There was a whole series of Bald Bill jokes, and although he'd heard a lot of them, he was sure there were hundreds out there that he'd yet to hear. And at this rate, he was sure he would. "This is the kind of thing I have to put up with."
"Ollie, you're not even bald," Sam replied gently.
Oliver turned so that they could see the back of his head. "Can't you see it?"
Sam struggled to hold back another laugh. "No, brother, the shine from your head is blinding us."
"Funny," Oliver replied dryly.
"Hey, Ollie, I think I heard about something that could help for hair loss," Jerry said.
"Yeah, and what's that Barber?" Oliver said with a skeptical look.
"A few pounds of pig manure," Jerry deadpanned.
"What?" both Oliver and Sam said in unison.
Oliver wrinkled his nose. "That cures baldness?"
Jerry smirked. "No, but with that on your head nobody will come close enough to notice."
"You know, Ollie, there is a bright side to all of this," Sam said slowly.
"Yeah? What's that, my bald spot?" Oliver asked with a glare.
Sam's eyes flicked to Jerry before returning to Oliver. "No, man, just think about how long a bottle of shampoo will last you."
Oliver got to his feet. "You know, you guys are going to feel my pain one day."
"Not happening, my friend," Jerry retorted. "My dad's sixty and still has a full head of hair. I'll be at least eighty or ninety before I start losing mine, and by then I'll be too far gone to know."
With a glare, Oliver finished off the rest of his beer and vanished down the hallway.
One hour later…
Sam and Jerry jerked upright on the couch, nearly spilling their beer as a strangled cry sounded from down the hallway. With a glance at one another, they took off towards the bathroom, pounding hard on the door until it opened.
"It stings," Oliver said, wincing as he frantically rubbed the top of his head. "Burns."
Sam picked up the box on the counter and frowned. "Hair removal?"
"What?" Oliver said, snatching the box back. "It is not… It helps hair grow ba… Oh." His eyes widened and a curse escaped him as he re-read the package. He flipped it over and then back again, repeating the action several times. This couldn't be. "No way."
Jerry looked over Oliver's shoulder. "Yup, definitely hair removal. I think I had a girlfriend who used that once. Hurt like hell."
Oliver shook his head. "But I bought—"
"A wig I hope," Jerry interrupted, his eyes flicking to Oliver's head, which was not only showing more skin, but was also red and blotchy looking.
"Shut up," Oliver said, shoving them out of the bathroom. "And go buy me some hair dye."
"To dye what?" Sam said with a laugh.
Jerry gave him another high-five.
"I have to fix this," Oliver said angrily, gesturing to his head. "I don't know how, but I have to do something. Try something. Anything."
"Do you know why Bald Bill put a rabbit on his head?" Sam asked, unable to help himself.
"No, and I don't want to know either."
"I do," Jerry exclaimed.
"Because he wanted a head of hare," Sam said, straight-faced. Meanwhile, Jerry was leaning up against the wall in the hallway, slapping it as his body shook with laughter.
"Just shut up and go buy me hair dye that will match," Oliver snapped. Seeing Sam's lips twitch, he added, "It wasn't even that funny."
"Barber volunteered," Sam said quickly, receiving a smack to the back of his head from Jerry. "What? You're the pretty boy. You knew about the hair removal stuff, so hair dye is right up your alley."
Oliver's hands started to frantically and rather aggressively run over his head again.
"Ollie, stop," Sam said, yanking his friend's hands away. "You're just going to spread the stuff."
Oliver's face paled as his arms lowered and his eyes shot down to his hands. Seconds later he was tilting his head left and right in an attempt to see the spot in the mirror. "Is it bigger?"
Sam craned his neck to look. "Like a crater."
Jerry cracked up again. "You know what this is?" he said, still laughing. "A haircut with a hole in it."
"What are you still doing here?" Oliver demanded, hurling the empty box at Jerry's head.
"Ouch," Jerry cried out, glaring at his friend before sulking towards the door. "Just remember who's buying it for you."
"Yeah, yeah," Oliver replied. "Oh, and while you're out, pick up a wig, will you?"
Sam could barely contain his smirk.
Thirty minutes later…
"This is what you bought me?" Oliver asked, horrified. "It's a woman's wig."
"It's all they had," Jerry said with a shrug, waving the wig around in his hands. "Just cut it or something."
Oliver let out a frustrated sigh. "And red hair dye? Really, Barber? My hair isn't red."
"Obviously," Jerry replied, rolling his eyes. "But an ex used to use this stuff all the time. Trust me, the colour on the box is misleading. It will be fine. It'll match you perfectly. You'll see."
Sam shrugged when Oliver looked over at him. "Don't look at me."
"Fine," Oliver huffed. "But I swear if something goes wrong…" He let it hang, the threat obvious as Jerry took a step back, smiling nervously.
The next morning…
"How does it look?" Oliver asked as he stepped into the kitchen.
Sam turned and spit out his coffee, elbowing Jerry hard in the side.
"What the hell?" Jerry said before his eyes fell on their friend. "Oh."
"What?" Oliver asked, his eyes popping as he stared at the expressions on his friends' faces.
"It's…" Sam began, unsure of whether to laugh or run.
"Great," Jerry lied, his eyes shifting to the door.
"Do you have a hat, buddy?" Sam asked a little hesitantly.
Oliver immediately spun around and dashed to the bathroom, returning seconds later, fuming. "You said the box was misleading. You said..." He let out a growl. "You're dead—"
"Ollie, it's not as bad as…" Sam began, but fell silent as Oliver passed him and he saw the full result of the previous night's efforts. His friend's hair was bright red, and it wasn't a wig either. Sam reached out and stopped him. "Ollie, what did you do?"
The man rounded on him. "The wig wasn't working."
"Clearly, but what the hell is on your head?" Sam asked, poking it before taking a step backward when Oliver's eyes narrowed.
"Hair."
Sam craned his neck a little and frowned. "Did you use Krazy Glue?" It sounded ridiculous, but there were patches of hair sticking up in all directions, mostly covering the bald spot. Except for a few spots that had clearly been missed. Basically, it was a shoddy job. There were still gaps, and he was certain he could see some form of glue.
"It holds, right?"
"Yeah, but brother, I think this is one of those times when you're going to wish it didn't," Sam replied, casting a glance in Jerry's direction.
Oliver's hands flew up to his head before he lunged towards Jerry, tackling him to the ground. Before any fists could be thrown, Sam was prying them apart. "Killing Barber isn't going to solve anything," Sam said. "Let's find you a hat and get to class, then we'll figure the rest out."
There was a long, tense moment of silence before Oliver stormed away in search of a hat.
"If we can't fix this, we're dead," Sam said with a pointed look at Jerry.
Later that day… (after class)
"She was laughing at me," Oliver said with a groan, throwing his hands up to cover his face.
"She's not even worth it, buddy," Sam said, tugging his friend's hat down.
"It's Cherise Thompson. Of course she's worth it," Oliver replied with another groan. "And when the instructor made me take off my hat, did you hear what she said?"
"Called you a clown," Jerry said with a grimace. "Bozo the Clown."
"Said she'd buy me a red clown nose so I'd be ready for Halloween," Oliver added, kicking a stone with his shoe as they stepped outside the academy doors.
"At least she offered to buy you something," Sam said weakly. Sure, they'd been poking fun at him earlier, but Oliver had taken a beating in class and despite their efforts to make him feel better, nothing seemed to be working. And at least they were friends, having a little bit of fun. During class, that had been something else entirely and it made him feel sick.
"You know, my nephew is having a birthday party tomorrow," Jerry said. Ignoring the look Sam was giving him, he barreled on. "Their entertainment cancelled last minute, so you know, if Cherise pulls through on that clown nose and you want to make some extra cash blowing up balloons…?"
Sam immediately smacked the back of Jerry's head, but his friend still didn't seem to get it.
"All I'm saying is that you've created a whole new world of possibilities. And the timing… You could make a career out of it. You've always said you wanted kids. So, why not see how you manage with a bunch of them?"
Sam ran a hand over his face, hoping Jerry would finally shut up, but he didn't.
"And I know this guy – a friend of a friend – who could get you a discount on a clown car."
"You know what, Barber?" Sam said, finally stepping in. "You already have the clothes for it, and you wanna talk about clown cars, you're the only one who's small enough to fit in one."
Oliver shot him an appreciative smile.
"Forget about Cherise, buddy," Sam said. "You're better than her."
Oliver sighed. "Yeah, well, I have hair glued to my head."
"I heard acetone is good for removing Krazy Glue." Both men turned to look at Jerry. "You know, like the stuff in nail polish remover. My ex used it once and it worked like a charm."
Again, Sam slapped the back of Jerry's head.
"Why didn't you tell me this before class?" Oliver cried out, trying to lunge at Jerry again.
Although he thought Jerry thoroughly deserved what was coming to him, Sam held Oliver back once again. "He might be right, but I think your best bet is to go to the hospital or you might wind up worse."
"Fine, then you two clowns are coming with me," Oliver replied.
Five hours later…
Sam's eyes flicked upward. He'd meant to look at Oliver's face, but instead, he found his eyes traveling in an attempt to find a reflective surface so he could see the back of his friend's head.
"Just get it over with," Oliver grumbled as he turned around to show his friends what the doctor had done.
Sam nodded. "It's better."
"Yeah, just like it didn't look that bad earlier?" Oliver challenged.
"No, it's actually better, buddy," Sam replied with an encouraging smile. "It's you, not Bozo."
Oliver shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you two," he muttered, following them out of the hospital.
"You're stuck with us, brother," Jerry said with a laugh, hesitantly putting his arm around Oliver's shoulders. "We're like blood. Family. You love us, you hate us, but no matter what you do, you can't really get rid of us."
"You're buying me food," Oliver replied with a pointed look.
Sam quirked an eyebrow. "When don't we buy you food, Ollie?"
"And a drink," Oliver added, daring them to argue, but they didn't.
Within fifteen minutes they were sitting in a booth at a small diner that they periodically visited.
"I'm never going to be that guy," Oliver muttered, causing both Jerry and Sam to look up. "The one she wants."
Sam sighed. "Like I said, you're better than her, so just forget about it. Forget about her."
"Have a little fun," Jerry added.
"Fun?" Oliver said. "I don't think… What do you call it? Chasing tail? Yeah, I don't think doing that is fun."
"You're too much of a hopeless romantic," Jerry said. "Live a little."
Oliver shook his head. "You know, I feel sorry for both of you." He paused. "I'm going to be the one who's happy for years down the road. I'm going to be the one who has someone to share everything with. And you two, if you keep this up, you're going to wind up alone and miserable."
"We aren't miserable," Jerry argued, casting a glance in Sam's direction.
"Yeah, well, you will be," said Oliver. "But you know what? I bet at least one of you knuckleheads will figure it out. Might even be you, Barber... But, one of these days, you're going to fall for someone."
"As in trip?" Jerry said with a laugh, and Sam joined in. Neither of them could ever really see themselves in a long-term relationship.
"No, you're going to fall in love, brother," Oliver replied.
"Oh yeah?" Sam asked skeptically. "And is it love when you feel the need to change yourself? Hide your bald spot?"
Oliver chuckled. "Nah, that's just me being stupid." And it was. He knew it was ridiculous, but Cherise Thompson was the it girl. The one girl that everyone wanted to be with. He couldn't help but want to impress her, as stupid as it was. "But one day, it'll hit you and you won't even see it coming."
Sam let out a loud laugh. "Sure, whatever you say, buddy."
"Hi, my name's Zoe, and I'll be your server today," came a soft, female voice.
Sam's eyes flicked from the server to Oliver, and smirked. He'd never believed in love at first sight, but the way his friend was looking at Zoe, he had to wonder if in some weird way, it might actually exist. He mentally shook himself for having such a ridiculous thought. He wasn't even so sure he understood love, but love at first sight? Now that was crazy.
"My name is… I'm… I'm Oliver."
When Jerry started laughing, Sam elbowed him hard in the side. Neither Zoe nor Oliver noticed. They were both staring at each other with soft smiles on their faces.
Sam sighed. "And that's how Oliver's most embarrassing day and worst day at the academy, turned into one of the best days of his life."
"Because he met Zoe," Andy commented, a soft smile on her face.
Even as the whole thing played in his mind, he'd left out certain details, especially about Julia. But, he'd told her most of it and she'd laughed at times, nearly cried at others – particularly when he described the hell Oliver went through during class – but throughout the entire thing, she'd gone from sitting beside him on the couch, to having her head resting in his lap. And his hand had shifted from the back of the couch, to her arm where he was gently tracing patterns up and down the length of it.
She shifted just a little so one arm lay draped across his legs, but as she moved, her hair fell back, revealing the previously bald patch from her surgery. Although some of the hair had started to grow back, she continued to wear her hair down to hide the spot. And now that it was uncovered, she felt exposed, so her hand snapped up to draw it forward again.
"Hey," Sam said softly, reaching up to take her hand in his. "Don't."
Andy squirmed a little until he released her, but instead of letting her re-adjust her hair, he brushed it further back. "You don't need to cover it up. Not with me; not with anyone," he said, his voice unusually soothing. As he spoke, the tips of his fingers gently moved over the back of her skull, his eyes on her face the entire time to make sure it didn't hurt. "You're beautiful no matter what." And he meant it. Full head of hair or bald like Bill, or something else entirely, he was drawn to her beauty both inside and out.
It took a few seconds for his words to sink in, but once they had, she finally stilled – that was, everything except for her heart, which was now pounding heavily in her chest. Feeling her eyes get a little misty, she tightened her grip on his legs and buried part of her face in his jeans, unable to think of a verbal response that could even begin to tell him what his words meant to her. He just seemed to have this way with her, where he made everything seem less... bad. Made it easier. Made her feel stronger, more capable. Just better about herself. A small smile formed on her face as she felt his hand move back down to her arm to draw patterns on her skin. Within seconds of the skin-on-skin contact, she felt her body shift back into a more relaxed state, knowing that even without verbalizing it, he understood that she appreciated his words. There was a long, but comfortable silence as they sat on his couch, Andy's head still in his lap and Sam's fingers still trailing along her arms. And she could have stayed there without talking for a long while longer, but she wanted to know... "What's yours?" she asked quietly, finally turning her head a little so she could look up at him.
"What?" Sam asked, frowning. His hand momentarily faltered.
"What's your story?" Again, her voice was quiet.
"My most embarrassing, but best day?" Sam asked, quirking an eyebrow.
She nodded.
"When a rookie tackled me in an alley and blew my op," Sam replied, his eyes meeting hers.
A faint blush crept into her cheeks. "Mine is today," she said shyly. Of course, she only had since the day of the incident to choose from, but given how the morning went with her seeing him shirtless and the thoughts and feelings that ran through her at the time, it was definitely embarrassing. After all, she was engaged to another man, so she shouldn't be thinking or feeling any of those things. But, all in all, she'd had a lot of fun today, even with studying for her written test.
His lips twitched. Oliver had been right. His friend had warned him: "…one day, it'll hit you and you won't even see it coming." And he hadn't. She'd taken his feet out from under him, barreled into his life, and he hadn't been prepared for it. He sure as hell hadn't been prepared for the onslaught of emotions. The feelings. For any of it really. Nope, he most definitely had not seen it coming – her coming – but now that it was here and she was here, he didn't want to let her go.
Thanks for reading! Hope you'll let me know what you think.
I was sooooo tempted to put Sam in just a towel, but I didn't think poor Andy could cope with that quite yet, LOL. Although I think some of you would have appreciated it.
Anyway, again, no offence intended regarding the jokes in this chapter, so my apologies if it bothered anyone.
Up next… Well, that depends on if I add in a new chapter or go with one that's already written. But, for those of you wondering what happened immediately after the diner scene that had Sam so wound up and Andy excited, you'll find that out in the next chapter. I'm not saying it's big, but I know at least one person is curious, so I'll bring it up in the next chapter. And I'll maybe throw some popcorn in there too. How's that for a hint? Confusing? Well, you'll just have to come back to read more then. Until next time, thanks for reading! I hope everyone has an awesome day/weekend/Halloween!
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