AN: I decided that I really didn't like the last chapter, so I needed to write the next one. And then I did and now it's here. I like it, too, so yay! Next chapter may take a couple of days, but thanks to some inspiration from Marys, it'll have a fun guest star. Well, I think it'll be fun. I love him. That's all I'll say. Shh!

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Keep it up and I'll keep on updating (for a few more chapters, anyway)

"No, it's supposed to be freezing tonight," Andy argued, reaching for the door handle on Sam's truck.

"It's fine," Sam said, holding his arms out to the side. The sleeves of his Henley were pushed to the elbows while his jacket hung over the side of his truck bed. "We should walk."

At the sound of the word, Boo started to walk and pulled Andy forward. "No," she said, tugging gently on the leash until Boo stopped and sat down again. "Sam, it's fine now, but in a few hours, who knows how cold it will be?"

Sam's arms fell to his side and he sighed, walking toward her. "You're lucky you're cute," he said before kissing her lightly on the cheek and she smiled triumphantly.

It wasn't warm, not really, and Andy knew the temperature would drop considerably during Jerry's party. It was one thing to go to a bonfire and sit in its heat for a few hours. It was another thing to willingly freeze while they walked home. Sam wanted to walk because he'd spent the last two days in classes and the last two nights in the library. She understood that he needed to breathe and stretch his legs a little, but she also knew how inefficient his leather jacket was from keeping him warm.

When they got Jerry's, Sam parked on the street behind Oliver's car, and Andy opened her door and let Boo run out ahead of her. She met Sam on the other side of the truck and they walked the side of the house together—towards the fire and the number of people already sitting around it.

Andy smiled as Boo made his rounds, running from person to person and accepting all the attention he could get. He was always a hit with everyone and he loved moving among them until he got tired and wound up asleep at Sam or Andy's feet.

"Spiked hot chocolate?"

Andy turned to see Traci holding out a cup for her and she took it with a grateful smile. "What, exactly, does that mean?" Sam asked as Andy handed him her cup.

"Hot chocolate and marshmallow vodka, mostly," Traci laughed and Andy smiled as she watched Sam take the first sip.

"Beer?" He asked, handing it back and Andy laughed at the look of pure disgust on his face.

"In the cooler on the porch," Traci laughed.

They both watched him walk over and take a beer before Jerry and Oliver joined him and the three of them walked off toward the fire.

"So, how's the birthday boy?" Andy asked. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and smiled at its smooth deliciousness.

"Loving life," Traci reported, putting her arm through Andy's as they walked over to a few open seats close to the heat of the fire. "He skipped all of his classes today and his parents sent him, like, three hundred bucks. So, you know, he's pretty good."

"And how was dinner?" Andy asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively until Traci burst out laughing and shoved her shoulder.

"Dinner was great," she said. "So was after dinner."

"Ha, I knew it!" Andy laughed, tossing her head back. "Good for you, pal."

They both turned toward the house when they heard a group of people coming around the side and they both smiled when they saw the rest of their friends, plus Chloe.

"Have you talked to her since Saturday?" Traci asked when she looked over at them.

"Nope," Andy said, popping the 'p' as she stood up. "I'll be right back."

She walked over to Chris, Gail, Dov, and Chloe where they were stopped at the cooler and tentatively tapped on Chloe's shoulder.

She squealed before turning around with a hand on her chest while everyone else looked on. "Can we talk?" Andy asked. She glanced quickly at Dov who nodded his approval with a small smile.

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and nodded before walking past her to a quieter spot in the yard. Andy didn't like being mean, so she wasn't completely comfortable with apologizing for it. But she needed to apologize; Chloe didn't deserve the wrath she received the weekend before.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you last week," she said and Chloe nodded. "I was upset with Sam and I took it out on you. That wasn't fair. I'm sorry."

It took a few seconds, but Chloe smiled and dropped her arms. "It's okay," she said with a heavy shrug. "I'm happy you apologized and I forgive you. Guys have a way of making us pretty crazy sometimes, right?"

"Yeah, they do," she agreed with a smile. "Thanks for understanding."

"No problem," Chloe promised. "Thanks for apologizing. I like you; I didn't want to hate you for something stupid. I am pretty good at holding a grudge, though."

"Good to know," Andy laughed, looking at Dov standing a few feet behind his girlfriend. He saw her looking and joined them. "I'm going to head back to Trace, but we're over there if you guys want to join us," she told them, pointing to Traci and her empty seat across the lawn.

Sam turned his head when he saw Andy walking back to her seat next to Traci and then turned back toward Oliver and Jerry. "He's like one of those wind-up toys," Oliver laughed, watching as Boo tired and laid by Andy's seat.

"He runs and runs until he's out of juice and bam," Jerry agreed. "He'll be there for the next hour."

"He'll get a second wind," Sam promised, glancing back over his shoulder to see that he'd moved stand between Andy's legs with his chin on her thigh as she ran her hands over the top of his head. "McNally always gets him all riled up."

"Aw, he's just like his daddy," Oliver joked and Sam rolled his eyes with a smile.

Sam looked up at the house in time to see Mike walking onto the porch from the kitchen, having just gotten out of work, and he sighed. Sam didn't like a lot of people, but he also didn't actively dislike a lot people. Mike was one of the lucky few that he did genuinely dislike. He was never sure why, but, since the day they met, he knew that they would never be friends. In fact, he knew he would do almost anything to avoid even speaking to the guy.

He watched as Mike surveyed the yard and as his eyes lingered on Andy a second longer than anyone else. Now Sam was sure he had something legitimate to dislike about him—had since the night of Andy's first bonfire at Jerry's.

He looked back at his friends when Mike descended the short staircase and kept his gaze practiced on the beer in his hand while Oliver and Jerry discussed Jerry's newest beer creation that he made using the kit he got for Christmas.

"She still treats your dog like her own even though you two broke up?" Sam heard Mike ask as he came up next to him.

"Andy and I didn't break up," Sam told him, looking up from where he sat. He wasn't crazy about Mike literally looking down at him, but he wasn't about to make a scene and have a standoff at Jerry's party for no reason. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Well, I guess I just kind of figured since you disappeared for a week," Mike shrugged and Sam held back a tight, condescending smile. "People typically do that to, either, avoid a breakup or get over one, right?"

"Not in this case," Sam promised. Jerry and Oliver had stopped their conversation short when the topic of Sam and Andy's relationship came up. They were both watching and listening for any reason to come to Sam's defense, but he didn't think it would come to that. "McNally and I are great, but thanks for your concern."

At that, Mike scoffed and looked over at Andy again. She was still showering Boo with affection and attention and, in any other situation, Sam would have smiled at the scene. Now, he just wanted Mike to look away and focus back on him.

"I don't get it," he said finally, looking back at Sam. "I just don't understand how she makes people and your dog fall in love with her."

"You know what I don't get?" Sam asked, standing up to finally be face to face with him. "I don't get why you care so much. I don't get why you find so much pleasure in not liking her. I can't think of a single thing she could have done for you to not like her as much as you make it seem."

"I have my reasons," Mike said and Sam shook his head slowly.

"See, Mikey, I don't think you do," he said, looking back at his friends. "I think you'll never accept the fact that your little brother made a move on her before you got the chance to. I think you're like one of those first graders on the playground, pulling on little girls' pigtails. I think you actually like her, way more than someone who could so easily be friends with her. I think you always have and I think it's time you get over it."

"You're insane," Mike said, seething with each word and Sam laughed.

"No, I'm not," he said. "But, guess what? Your brother did date her—for years, actually. And even if she and I did breakup, which we didn't, you still could never date her yourself. I don't have a brother, but I do have friends, and there's a code. Right?" He asked, looking back at Oliver and he nodded. "You'd never get the chance to go out with her. You'd never do that to Tanner, because, yeah, you may be a crappy person, but you're a good big brother. You wouldn't do that with his first girlfriend, his first love."

"They were never in love," Mike argued and Sam shrugged, pretty much knowing it to be true. "They were in high school. They had no idea what that meant."

"She does now, though," Sam said, starting to feel a little bad about choosing to bring up Mike's obvious feelings for his girlfriend. "So, you're out of luck either way."

"Well, good thing I don't have feelings for her," Mike said and Sam nodded with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, I must be wrong," he conceded falsely. "Good thing."

He waited until he was gone before sitting back down in his chair. "What the hell was that, Sammy?" Jerry asked, trying to hold back a laugh. "Where did that come from?"

"I hate him," Sam said and both Jerry and Oliver laughed. "And he's been into Andy longer than I've even known her. Worse than that, he's been a dick to her the entire time. He can't just assume we broke up and think it's okay to talk about with me. We're not friends and he doesn't have that right."

"I've just—I don't know," Jerry laughed, pushing himself to the edge of his seat. "I've always hated the kid and I got way too much enjoyment out of that."

"Kid's a prick," Oliver agreed, shaking his head. "And he should know better than to be one to McNally from here on out. Good job, Brother."

"Sam?" He turned to see Andy standing over him and he sat up so she could sit on the arm of his chair. "Is everything okay with you and Mike?" She asked and his eyes widened and he looked over at his friends. They slid as far back in their seats as possible to take themselves out of the conversation.

"Um, yeah," Sam said, putting his arm across Andy's back when hers went around his shoulders. "Why?"

"Well, I saw the two of you talking and then I saw him take, like, three shots in a minute," she said, looking over her shoulder to see him taking another one. Sam cringed at the sight and rubbed his hand up and down Andy's side to bring her attention back to him. "No fights are going to break out or anything, right? I mean, I know you're not friends or anything, but…"

"I'm not starting any fights," Sam promised and she smiled, relaxing against him. "We just agreed to disagree on some stuff."

"Okay," Andy said, leaning over him to kiss the top of his head.

Andy stood with Sam in front of the fire, sucking up as much of its warmth as she could. Sam had his arm securely around her shoulders while both of her arms were wound tightly around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder as the two of them sang Happy Birthday with the rest of the group while Traci presented Jerry with a cake.

They unwound themselves in time to clap as he blew out his candles and kissed Traci thoroughly on the lips in gratitude. "When's your birthday again?" Andy asked, looking up at Sam.

He pulled her into his side again and smiled. "July 8," he told her and she nodded, mentally filing the date. "Why? What do you plan on doing with that information?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see," she said, smiling innocently up at him. Sam squeezed her tighter and kissed her slowly. "That's not going to make me tell you all of the awesome ideas I've got."

"You don't need to do anything, Andy," he promised and she shrugged. "I didn't do anything for yours."

"Sure you did," she laughed, moving to stand in front of him, letting the fire warm her back. She held him at his waist—underneath his jacket—and stood taller to bring her face closer to his. "You kissed me for the first time."

Sam smiled fondly and nudged her nose with his before pressing a soft kiss against her lips. "Actually, you kissed me first. Remember?" He asked and she fell back on heels and tilted her head, trying to remember.

"I did?" She asked and he nodded with an amused smile. She felt his hands lock at her back and she ran her hands up his chest and around his neck until she could do the same. "That doesn't sound like something I would do."

"Well, it is because you did," he laughed. Andy nodded, biting her lip, as Sam watched on, still amused. "Don't worry, I liked it."

"Yeah, I kind of figured," she laughed with a shake of her head. "Because, if you didn't kiss me first, then you definitely initiated the next one."

"And the next one," he confirmed and she smiled triumphantly.

"You have a long memory," she said and he shrugged under the weight of her arms. "It's impressive."

"Believe me," he said, tightening his arms to bring her closer. "It's kind of a blessing and a curse. I remember everything."

Andy felt herself pouting before she could stop it and she stood taller to kiss him lightly and quickly. "I know what you mean," she told him and he nodded. "We all have things we don't want to remember. But," she smiled, moving her hands to the side of his neck so her thumbs were on his cheeks, moving softly back and forth. "Think of all the good things we have to look forward to remembering? I mean, we've been at this thing for a while now. We've got a lot of good things to look back on."

"Oh, yeah," he nodded, a soft smile appearing on his face. "I've got a whole freaking vault up there with your name on it."

"Good," she laughed, kissing him again. "I may not remember who kissed who first, but it's probably just because I was so excited for it to happen. Those first two weeks were brutal."

"Damn, it has been a while, huh?" He asked with a mock look of disgust on his face. She scoffed and stepped lightly on his foot. "Ow."

"Don't be such a baby," Andy said and Sam shrugged his eyebrows. "Let's go get some cake."

"You read my mind, McNally."

"So, you'll come with me tomorrow?" Andy asked as she reached over the side of the bed for Sam's sweatshirt.

"Yup," he nodded, watching her pull it over her head. She moved closer to him under the covers and tangled her bare legs with his. He held her against his chest and watched her fingers moving through the hair there.

"You don't have to," she told him thoughtfully, looking up at him and he smiled. "I know it might be a little intimidating."

"I've already had a meal with your father," he reminded her and she sighed, shaking her head before biting her lip. "What?"

"I'm not so worried about him," she admitted and he furrowed his brow until she elaborated. "Ronnie's coming and he has this weird, I don't know, protective streak sometimes. He's kind of worse than my dad. He protects both of us."

"I don't plan on murdering the McNallys over a steak dinner," he promised and she laughed, slapping his chest. He caught her hand and held it against his mouth—nibbling on her palm before kissing it. "I like this one too much."

"After biting me it sounds like you're saving me for dessert," she laughed again and he chuckled beneath her.

"Well, not the kind that involves food," he joked and she rolled to lie on top of him completely. "Unless, of course, you've changed your mind on the chocolate sauce idea."

"Sam!" She chastised and he laughed, holding his hands by his face in defense.

"Okay, clearly you haven't."

"No," she promised.

Sam leaned his head forward and kissed her as his hand slid up her thigh and her side until it was underneath the sweatshirt she was wearing. "It's going to be fine tomorrow," he promised, letting his head fall back against his pillow. "Ronnie will love me. You'll see."

"You're deranged," she said and he laughed, rolling over so he was above her. He reached back and drew one of her legs around his waist and settled against her.

"You do," he reminded her, whispering against her jaw before kissing her slowly.

"You're more my type than you are Ronnie's," she laughed and he pulled his head back to look at her.

"I'm everyone's type," he said and then he kissed her neck. He felt her shaky breath on his skin and kissed her again.

"You're mine," she breathed. "All mine."

"I can live with that," Sam said seriously, looking down at her again. "And you're mine."

"You better believe it," she smiled and he did.