Welcome back! Thank you guys so much for all of your awesome reviews, as well as the follows and favourites. You guys are incredible, and I truly appreciate the feedback. As always, I hope you'll continue to let me know what you think!

Also, a special someone is celebrating her birthday today, so I'd like to wish her a VERY Happy Birthday by dedicating this chapter to her.

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... The next day, after studying for awhile, Sam finally tells Andy the academy story about Oliver.

PLEASE NOTE: This chapter ("Slow Dance") was too long for one document so it was split in two. This is PART 1... PART 2 will be posted immediately after this one, so be sure to check it out as soon as you reach the end of this one. Thanks!

Sam stared at the house from the driver's seat of his truck, his good mood from the night before slipping a notch. He never thought he'd be sitting outside Callaghan's house; never thought that she would be living in it. And even after all this time, he still had trouble accepting it. He couldn't. Just couldn't come to terms with why she was there and what she saw in the man. The guy worked late; wasn't there for her when she needed it; and based on what he'd seen, Callaghan was still a little too attached to his ex: a fellow detective from a different division. But what bothered him the most was that she had chosen Callaghan over him, though he supposed he was partially to blame for that. Time and time again, he'd pushed her back to the guy because, despite everything, she seemed happy.

A tap on his window had him jumping, a curse escaping him as his head snapped to the left. Traci. How the hell had she gotten there? Had he really been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't seen her coming, or even noticed that he wasn't alone? After seeing her give a small wave, he slowly opened the truck door and slid out so that he was standing on the driveway.

"I was beginning to think you were going to sit out here all day," Traci said, greeting him with a small smile.

He merely shrugged in response. If she hadn't come along, who knew how long he would have been sitting there.

"What you're doing for her – helping her like this – it means a lot... to her... and to all of us," Traci said. "You know that, right?"

Sam nodded.

Traci's smile grew. "And what you're doing…" She gave him a pointed look. "You're doing it right."

His brows furrowed in confusion. What he was doing? When it came to Andy, half the time he felt like he had no clue what to do, what to say, or how to react.

"Oh come on," Traci said, her voice taking on a slight whine. "Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about, Swarek."

Silence. His eyes wandered up the street in an attempt to avoid the conversation, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. He had to get out of there; he had to get away from Traci. "I should—"

"The flirting," Traci prodded, eyes narrowing as she watched her co-worker struggle to come up with an excuse to avoid answering.

Sam swallowed hard, but remained silent. Had Andy told her that?

"You have been flirting with her, haven't you?"

His gaze settled on Traci's face and he could see the sudden worry cross her features. When his lips twitched a little, a small squeal escaped her.

"I knew it," she cried, slapping him on the back. "She's questioning it. Questioning a lot of things really. But, she's still trying to figure everything out. Determine if she's reading into things too much, if she's imagining things. She doesn't trust her judgment, Sam. Doesn't really know what to believe. She just knows what we tell her and how she feels. And, she's not an idiot. Even if she is confused, she's picking up on things, which means you're doing well."

"Doing well?" he said, quirking an eyebrow. "Nash, she's living with a man she's supposed to be getting married to…"

"Supposed to?" Traci said, folding her arms across her chest. "Andy isn't supposed to marry Luke; she agreed to marry him. But, that's in the past. She doesn't even remember him. And yeah, she's living with the guy... for now."

Sam shook his head and let out a loud breath. "I'm not a home-wrecker…" He ran a hand over his face, cutting himself off before he could throw in the "but". But what? But this was different, because it was Andy? "There are a lot of lines, and…" Again, he fell silent.

"You're worried about crossing them?"

"It's not fair to her. And if she remembers…" He let out a frustrated sigh. Who knew what would happen if she remembered. She'd marry Luke? Life would continue as if she'd never been shot? Or maybe she'd hold the incident against him.

"Her remembering would be a good thing, Sam. But even if she doesn't, you've got her hooked. So unless you push her back to Luke again, then you're on a good path." Seeing his doubt, Traci continued. "Look, I know this whole thing is confusing for everyone, but just keep going. Keep doing what you're doing."

"But I'm not intentionally doing anything," Sam admitted.

"You're helping her study… You tickled her… You—"

He shifted uncomfortably. "She was… getting a little too close."

"Well, it was smart." Traci said with an encouraging smile. A small laugh escaped her. "You know, I didn't think you had that one in you, Swarek, but it did the trick." She paused, eyeing him for a long moment before adding, "Now get in there and work your magic."

As Traci made to walk by him, he held out his arm. "Did she mention about the diner... about paying?"

Traci nodded.

Sam hesitated. "Why...? What...?" He rubbed his forehead. Even after reflecting on things afterward, he still couldn't make sense of why paying seemed to make her so happy.

A small laugh escaped her. "Probably more to do with Luke than anything."

He gestured for her to elaborate, to provide some clarity.

"Well, basically, from what I got," Traci said slowly. "He hasn't been around much, but the odd time when he makes an appearance, he'll try to take her out. And when he does, he never lets her pay."

"And that bothers her?"

Traci sighed. "Look, you know by now that her memory loss is extensive, that beyond some simple skills, her mind is really just a clean slate. She's re-learning a lot of things, mainly through observation." She paused, thinking back to what Andy had told her. "She's seen people fight over the bill, and she's questioned Luke about it, but he just shrugs it off, tells her not to worry about it... She's even asked to pay, but he won't let her. And it's not just about who pays. It's about who's in control… or who's being controlled."

Sam's frown deepened. What was that supposed to mean?

"And ever since she was released from the hospital, Luke's been pretty controlling. Kind of smothering her, even when he isn't around. He just questions every little thing... If she went somewhere, talked to someone. Everything. He's stifling her, and you aren't." She shrugged. "You let her pay. You let her be in control. Gave her freedom. A choice."

He leaned back against his truck and stared up at the house again.

"Sam, he's pushing her away without even realizing it."

That made him grimace. He'd been in that boat before, although, in all fairness, he'd been aware of what he was doing. He'd made the choice; a conscious decision, even if it was a stupid one. And he supposed he should be thankful that the man was an idiot, that the detective was making his own "job" easier. But the whole situation seemed wrong: stealing another man's woman. He mentally shook himself. Andy wasn't Luke's. She was Andy, plain and simple. The lone wolf. The cheese that stands alone. She was the one making the decisions; he was just giving her options, right?

"Hey," Traci said, waving her hand in front of his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he replied with a small nod.

"Good, then get in there. She's waiting." Traci gave him a small shove toward the house.

With his eyes on the front door, he took a deep breath and started walking toward it, but only made it a few steps before stopping and turning around. "Hey, Nash?"

The woman glanced over her shoulder.

"Thanks."

A grin spread across her face. "Thank me by getting her back."

His lips twitched as he turned back to face the house, his feet carrying him to the door. After a hesitant moment, he raised his hand and knocked, his heart racing. His palms were sweaty and his nerves had skyrocketed, making him feel like a pre-pubescent boy with a schoolgirl crush, minus the giggling. But that was about to change. As the door swung open, his jaw went slack and a curse escaped him.

Andy's eyes immediately widened before her gaze darted down to her body and then all around in an attempt to figure out what was wrong.

Realizing he'd said it out loud, he shook his head, another curse tumbling out before he could stop it. With a groan, he ran a hand over his face. What the hell is wrong with me? She'd thrown him for a loop here and there, but nothing like this. Well, maybe the night of the blackout. But at least then he'd had more control over his actions and reactions. Right now, he couldn't keep his mouth shut, or his eyes and thoughts from wandering.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked, her eyes still wide with concern.

He finally let his hand drop and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm…" Sam began, then choked out the word "great" as he watched another finger make it's way into her mouth as she licked off whatever was on there. Inappropriate thoughts raced through his head, rendering his mind useless and leaving him standing there almost gawking. Forcing his mouth shut and his eyes away, he took a long, steadying breath in an attempt to recompose himself, but the sight of her tank top and short shorts lingered in his head and had him groaning again. This was going to be a long day.

Letting her hands fall to her sides, Andy quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay?" she said as she stepped back to let him in. When he remained standing there, cautiously looking down the hallway, she reached out and slid one hand into his, gently pulling him inside.

Once again, he found himself wondering why he agreed to come to Callaghan's house, instead of having her over to his place to study. But, he was already in the house and Andy was closing the door behind him.

"So umm, I just have to put a few things away," Andy said, leading him toward the kitchen once he had his shoes off.

Seeing at least a dozen bottles of sauce on the counter, he frowned, until it clicked. "Testing them?"

A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she put each bottle back in the fridge, sliding some to the left side and some to the right, sorting them based on what she liked best. "Thought it might make things easier," she said with a shrug.

He remained silent as he stared at her back, still trying to get his thoughts back on track, but her choice of attire was making it increasingly difficult as he watched her move around. So, he forced his eyes to take in the kitchen instead. Not that he really wanted to look too closely at the life that Andy shared with Luke, but he needed to do something.

"I had ice cream last night," Andy said, turning back to him with a smile on her face. A small laugh escaped her just seconds later. "I can't believe I forgot what it was. Like, who does that? It's delicious."

Sam chuckled. "Ice cream, huh?" He smirked. "Wait 'til you try brownies."

Her face crinkled in confusion. "Brownies?"

"Chocolate?"

Andy shook her head.

Sam whistled. "You've been missing out, McNally."

"Really?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow again.

With a nod, he said, "We're going for lunch today."

"For brownies and chocolate?"

He laughed again. "Call that dessert… and the brownies are chocolate."

"Oh." Her eyes widened as a faint blush entered her cheeks. She probably should have known that. It was likely a well-known fact. But, there were a lot of things she still didn't know, and the more she discovered and realized she didn't know, the dumber she felt. Not that Sam had made her feel that way; he'd never done that. But, it was frustrating and embarrassing regardless. Trying to keep the conversation going, she asked, "Do you like them?"

He gave her a pointed look before winking. "I am human, McNally."

She moved forward and swatted him. "Well, sometimes I wonder."

"Hey now," Sam replied, reaching for her, but she jumped out of the way with a laugh. "Think it's funny, do you?" He stepped toward her.

Andy shook her head, pressing her lips together.

"No?"

Her lips twitched, but she shook her head again.

His eyes narrowed as he took another step forward, then reached out and tickled her.

She instantly burst out into a fit of giggles as she doubled over in an attempt to protect herself. "You like steak," she gasped.

His fingers faltered. "What?"

Andy sucked in a large breath as she stood back up and looked at him. "Traci said you like steak."

"So?"

"I ate it last week. Took one bite and just couldn't do it. It's gross." She shuddered. "No human would like that."

He frowned. "You didn't like it?" he said slowly.

She shook her head.

"You used to," he replied, his frown deepening.

"I did?" Her eyes widened.

"If you have it again, make sure it's well done or close to it. And put some sauce on it."

Andy stared at him for a moment before nodding. "I could use a mini Sam Swarek in my pocket."

He raised his eyebrows as a loud laugh escaped him, causing her cheeks to turn a pretty shade of pink.

"To tell me what to avoid… and stuff." Her eyes wandered around the room as the nerves kicked in. And, before she could stop herself, the words came flying out of her mouth, desperate to make him forget what she'd just said. "Did you eat? Are you hungry? Do you want coffee? Or—"

"I'm fine, McNally," Sam said, nudging her a little to get her attention again. Seeing her nod and move toward the living room, he followed, soon finding themselves immersed in her textbooks.

A few hours in, he noticed Andy's attention was slowly fading. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Have I ever shot someone?"

He hesitated, studying her closely to see if it was curiosity speaking or perhaps a memory surfacing. He settled on curiosity, but still wasn't sure if he wanted to answer. "You've been shot... in the vest." He sighed. "It was at a concert, and the guy had crappy aim. He hit you, as well as his target."

"Hmm," Andy said, then realizing he hadn't answered her question, she asked it again.

Sam stared straight ahead, his heart beating a little faster. He didn't want to lie to her, but she'd taken it pretty hard the first time, not to mention what almost happened between them later that night.

"Sam?" Andy said, turning to look at him.

He let out a deep breath. "Yes."

Her face fell a little, but she barrelled on. "What happened?"

"You and Oliver followed up on a lead," he began, swallowing hard. "You were checking out a building and Oliver came across a guy who claimed to be doing some work there. But, the second Ollie was facing away, the guy hit him... put some bullets in his vest." He paused, grimacing. "The guy had a kid locked up in the basement, so Oliver had you go after him, knowing that if the guy shot a cop, he'd shoot the girl too. And he was right. The perp pulled his gun on you... You fired... It was clean." Seeing the doubt cross her face, he added, "You saved the little girl, and countless others from a pedophile."

"So I killed him?" Andy asked, frowning.

Sam hesitated, then turned to look at her and nodded slowly.

She sucked in a large breath.

"You had to, McNally. He would have killed you, and Oliver, and the girl… and who knows how many others."

She took another deep breath, and seeing something she couldn't understand in his facial expression, she asked, "What else?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"There's something else," Andy said. She could see it in his eyes, in his expression. "Sam, what aren't you telling me?"

He schooled his features, and shrugged. "That's what happened."

She frowned, but decided to temporarily let it go. She'd ask Traci about it later. "Fine," she said, eyeing him until the sound of her phone had her attention shifting and her hand moving to her pocket. "Hello?" she said a little tentatively as she placed her cell phone to her ear.

"Hey sweetie, it's your dad," came the voice on the other end.

"Uh, hi," Andy said, biting down on her lower lip.

"I know it's a little late for it, but do you have plans for lunch?"

"Uh…" Her heart was racing. Was she ready for this again?

Sam stared at her in silence, trying to piece things together based on what he could hear from her end.

"I found another box of things that I thought you might want to see," Tommy said.

"Oh." Again, she hesitated.

"You can ask Sam if he wants to come too," Tommy suggested.

"Uh…" She met Sam's gaze. "We're umm…"

"Is he with you now?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Can I talk to him?" Tommy pressed.

"Umm, sure." Andy handed her cell phone to Sam, who stared at it for a moment before taking the call.

When he hung up a couple of minutes later, he set her phone on the coffee table and took her hands in his. "Do you not want to go?"

"I…" Andy hesitated. "He seems nice." It came out sounding weak. It was true though, her dad did seem nice, but she still wasn't sure how to handle things.

Sam nodded. "He's a good guy."

She forced a small smile.

Squeezing her hands gently, he said in a gentle tone, "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I don't know how to act around him… around anyone," Andy said quietly. "And I saw how hard he was trying, how hard this is for him… And I just... What am I supposed to do?"

"Give him a chance," Sam replied. "Get to know him. He just wants to help... He loves you."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Was I always like this?"

He quirked an eyebrow.

"This dependent… upon everyone...?"

His expression softened a little, though it was a long moment before he was able to answer. She'd always been a bit of a lone wolf, even when she was with Luke. He mentally shook himself. She was still, technically, with the guy – the ring on her finger was proof of that. Seeing her big brown eyes staring at him expectantly, he sighed. "No, but that doesn't mean it's wrong."

She frowned.

"Things have changed, McNally. There's nothing easy about this, and if you don't depend on someone, then how are you supposed to figure things out and bounce back?"

Her expression became more thoughtful as she considered his words. "So this is weird?"

"You asking twenty questions?" Sam teased. "Definitely not."

She leaned forward and gave him a gentle swat, but before she could pull away again, his arm was around her, tugging her to him. And she complied, resting her head just below his shoulder as her body came flush with his side. One arm slowly made its way over his middle and wrapped around him, hugging him tight. "I'm glad you're here," she said quietly.

His heart rate quickened. He hadn't exactly meant to pull her to him – it had sort of just happened – but now that she seemed perfectly content this way, he had no intention of moving. And neither, apparently, did she. Feeling his hold tighten at her words, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and whispered back, "Me too."

They sat there in silence for a quarter of an hour before Andy finally raised her head. "What if he doesn't like me?"

Sam's eyes snapped away from the painting that he'd been looking at. His jaws clenched shut and his teeth ground together. Why the hell would she ask him that? "Luke loves you," he forced out.

Her eyebrows shot upward at the sudden shift in his demeanor before she shook her head. Luke? Where did that come from? "Sam, I meant my dad."

He bit down on his tongue. Of course she'd meant her dad. They had, after all, been talking about Tommy, not Luke. He mentally shook himself, attributing the slip to the stupid painting that he'd been staring at... a reminder of where they were, whose house they were in. But, at her words, some of the tension left him. "Your dad will love you no matter what."

"But…" She hesitated. "But if I'm different... If I'm not the same person..." Again, she paused. "What if he loved who I was, and not who I am?"

Sam raised a hand to her cheek. "Trust me on this," he said quietly. "He'll love you now too." And he knew it was true. Tommy adored his daughter, and the incident wouldn't change that. It hadn't for Sam. Hell, he'd been living in denial beforehand – refusing to admit that he loved Andy – but deep down he knew it was true, and since she woke up, he found himself falling harder for her. Harder and faster. His eyes flicked down to her lips, which were only inches away. Her breath was fanning out across his face. All it would take was a small movement and his lips would be on hers. Just one small movement. One. His mind was screaming at him, but her skin was so warm and so soft beneath his fingertips. So… Luke's house. They were in Callaghan's house. His hand immediately fell from her face and he released her before abruptly getting to his feet. "We're going to be late," he choked out, looking almost everywhere but at her as she slowly got to her feet and followed him out the door.

CONTINUE TO PART 2... Now up!