AN: Whoa. I'm surprised I actually finished this chapter. I was starting to believe I never would. Sorry it's shorter than what I've been posting lately, but, as you know, things are coming to an end. I'm saving things up for the epilogue. I plan to make it nice and long so it can cover a lot of ground.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Keep it up throughout these next couple of chapters, please?

Sam walked into his apartment to find Andy lying across his couch watching TV—exactly where he left her. This time, though, she was wearing footie pajamas and spooning his dog. When he walked to the end of the couch to look at them both, he crossed his arms and looked her from feet to face and she looked back at him with a single raised eyebrow.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He asked and the sound of his voice shook Boo awake and he stared back at him, right along with Andy.

The small smirk on Andy's face before she flipped off the TV was enough to make Sam smile himself—even if she did look ridiculous. "Pajamas," she answered, sitting up carefully so Boo could stay where he was. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," he shrugged and she stood up, shaking her arms so the sleeves were long enough to wrap her hands in. "Aren't you hot?"

"A little bit," she admitted, one shoulder shrugging before she reached for his hips and turned his body toward hers. "What? You don't like my footies?"

"Hey, you're your own person," he laughed. "Wear whatever you want, McNally."

"That didn't answer my question at all," she laughed and he smiled down at her. She used her covered hands to frame his face and pull him down to kiss her. "So, you don't like them?"

"I don't not like them," he insisted, resting his hands on the soft fleece at her waist. "Like I said, wear whatever you want."

"I should buy you a pair," she decided and he laughed—loudly. "What?" She asked, feigning offense. "I think you'd love them."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree," he promised and she shook her head, before letting go of him to pull a hood over her head. He hadn't noticed the hood before.

"Your loss," she insisted, turning back for the couch, curling her feet underneath her. "When are we leaving for Jerry's?"

"Hour," he answered, sitting next to her as Boo jumped off to head for his food. Andy nodded and curled into his side. His head fell against her hooded one and she put her arm across his waist to snuggle deeper against him, breathing him in.

"You smell like motor oil," she said dreamily and he nodded. "How was your first shift?"

"Slow," he shrugged. "Changed oil on two cars in four hours."

"That's it?"

"Yup," he confirmed, tightening his arm around her shoulders as he settled deeper in his seat. If he got too comfortable, he'd fall asleep there and be late for Jerry's end of the year bonfire.

"Did you like the guys?" Andy asked, fingering the hem of his shirt and he looked at her.

"They were fine," he shrugged and she narrowed her eyes for more information. "It's just for the summer. I don't need to make any friends."

"Oh, of course not. That would be terrible," she laughed and he pinched her arm in return. "I'm just saying, it might be nice to get to know the people you'll be spending your days with."

"Well, I guess we'll see," he said and she nodded against his shoulder. "Are you going to take off those ridiculous pajamas before we leave or do you plan on actually going out in public like that?"

Andy laughed out loud and pushed herself off of his chest to stand. "I knew you didn't like them," she accused and he shrugged innocently, laughing a little. "Messing with you is too fun. Although, I really think you should invest in a pair of these. It'll change your life."

"My life has changed enough in the past six months, McNally," he told her and she smiled softly. "You keep the pajamas and I'll keep you. Sound fair?"

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes before leaning down to kiss him quickly.

Sam watched her walk into his bedroom, unzipping her footie pajamas and bearing her back, before shutting the door behind her. He just shook his head and smiled to himself as Boo came back and rested his head on his lap.

As of the day before, Sam was finished with finals and Andy was finished with classes. After Jerry's bonfire that night, she'd probably spend the rest of the weekend locked in her room or the library while he continued to get settled in at his new job. She had finals the week after that and was staying with him for the weekend before going back to the city.

Sam used to love summer—no school, no homework, no one forcing him to do homework. Summer used to be the brightest spot in Sam's year. Now, summer meant a job he didn't want, another job he didn't really want, and months without Andy. In other words, summer kind of sucked.

Andy could feel the warmth of the fire as soon as she shut the door to Sam's truck. He'd backed into the yard from the side of the house just like he had at her first bonfire there. He and his friends were celebrating the end of their years—completely. Mike and a couple of his friends were celebrating their graduation in a week. Andy and her friends were celebrating one last week of finals. What they weren't celebrating, though, was their impending separation.

With her finals so close—too close—she got a sudden pang of sadness every time she looked at Sam or her friends. Once finals were done, Traci, Gail, Chris, and Dov were leaving and she'd only have a weekend with Sam before she went back home and back to work. She even spent the day at Sam's, even though he was working, so she could get some quality time in with Boo.

She also started bringing some of her stuff that she packed up from her dorm so she could keep it there until he drove her back to the city. For a little while, as she packed up in her room and then unpacked Sam's truck at his apartment, she imagined herself moving in with him. It was ridiculous, she knew, but it was also a nice thought. If she could imagine it now, then when they were actually ready for something like that, she knew they'd do it well. Most of the time she spent with him was in his apartment, just the two of them and Boo, and the three of them had a really good, comfortable routine. She could definitely see it—somewhere down the road.

"Can you help me with this cooler?" Sam asked from the back of the truck, catching Andy by surprise as she stared off into Jerry's backyard.

"Of course," she smiled, sidestepping Boo to get to the cooler. Together, she and Sam carried it to Jerry's porch, dropping it off right next to two more coolers.

Andy clasped her hands behind her back and surveyed the yard, spying her friends sitting in a tight circle near the fire. She saw Mike with two people standing near them. She saw Oliver and Jerry playing against each other in a game of beer pong. She saw Celery watching them. And she took it all in as Sam held a beer in front of her with a smile.

Andy accepted the drink and his smile grew enough for his dimples to form on his cheeks. He put his arm over her shoulders and the two of them walked down the small set of steps to get to the lawn. The fire was towards the back, where it always was, and on their way to it, Andy nearly choked on her beer.

"Is that Maggie and Jamie?" She asked, nodding to where Mike was. They both looked at them in time for Jamie to turn his head toward them. He put a hand on Maggie's back and whispered something to her before walking toward Andy and Sam.

"Sammy," he said, extending his hand. Sam untangled his arm from around Andy so he could shake it. "Hi, Andy."

Andy smiled at him and when he smiled back, she could tell that something was different about him. She didn't know him well enough to know for sure if that was the case, but the feeling in her gut told her so.

"Hi, Jamie. What are you guys doing here?"

"Your, uh, friend, Mike," he started, and both Andy and Sam cringed at the term. "He invited Maggie and she wanted me to meet him, so I tagged along."

"I'm going to go over and say hi to her," Andy said, smiling up at Sam and he nodded keeping his hand on her back until she walked far enough for it to fall to his side.

By the time Andy got to where Maggie and Mike were, he was already walking away and Maggie was turning toward her. "I was just coming to see you!" She nearly shouted, bounding over to Andy to throw her arms around her neck.

"I'm so happy you're here," Andy said, rocking back and forth while the two of them continued to hold each other. When they finally pulled apart, Maggie kept her hands wrapped around Andy's wrists and Andy's jaw dropped open when she looked down at them. "Oh my god."

"Oh, this?" Maggie asked, holding up her left hand to show off the diamond ring on her finger. "I got it last night. Cute, right?"

"Are you kidding me?" Andy asked through an excited laugh. She grabbed Maggie's hand and held it in front of her face, glaring at the ring. "It's exactly what you've always wanted."

"He's a good listener," Maggie laughed.

"I'm so happy for you," Andy said, pulling her into another hug. "This is huge."

"Mike's invited me to every one of these parties and I only made the drive up here tonight so I could tell you guys the news," Maggie admitted. "I didn't want you to hear from Tommy or my dad, so I needed to be here to tell you in person. We can't even stay long because Jamie's got to work an overnight shift in a few hours."

"I'm so happy that you came. I don't even care how long you're staying. I'd be so mad if I had to wait until I got home in a week and a half," Andy said. Maggie laughed and looked over Andy's shoulder and she turned to see Sam and Jamie walking over to them.

Sam's hand fell automatically to the small of her back and she leaned into it as Jamie took up residence next to Maggie, whispering in her ear. Andy looked up to find Sam already watching her and she felt her cheeks redden under his gaze. Six months in and he still made her blush with just a look.

"Okay," Maggie said, her own face slightly flushed as she put her hand on Jamie's chest. "We're leaving soon, but we'll say bye before we go."

"Good," Andy said, smiling first at Maggie before looking up at Jamie. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," he said, nodding solemnly, and then Maggie dragged him off with one last smile.

"I knew something was different the second I saw him," Andy said turning to stand in front of Sam. "Knew it."

"Who needs a college education when we've got a psychic on our hands?" Sam asked playfully and she shoved him away before quickly pulling on his sweatshirt to bring him closer.

The later it got, the more Sam watched Andy's every move. From his spot on the porch with Oliver and Celery, he could see her playing a card game on the lawn with her friends and Jerry. It was getting loud and her face was beaming until Traci pulled a card and she screeched, sinking to the ground with her face in her hands. Sam laughed as Boo circled her body and then as she stood up out of her dramatic squat and she happened to hear it and look over her shoulder with a dark, defeated look. He shrugged, smirking and she laughed to herself before going back to her friends.

"How was your first day on the job?" Oliver asked him, calling his attention back.

"Fine," he shrugged. "How'd the move go today?"

Celery sighed and Oliver shook his head, signaling for Sam not to ask any more questions. He held his hands up in defense and backed away from them before turning to hop down the steps to the lawn. The fire had started to dwindle, but Mike was trying to keep it alive a little longer.

As Sam got closer to Andy, she took a long sip of her beer and turned toward him with the same defeated look in her eyes. "Having fun?" He asked and she shook her head.

"I was until Traci threw down a diamond!" She said and the table laughed. "Save me?" She asked and he nodded with a smile, reaching for her hand. They walked, with Boo following close behind, to the tailgate of his truck.

They let Boo hop up first, circling the entire bed while they got comfortable on the tailgate. Sam used the side as an armrest and pulled Andy into his side, letting his hand wander beneath her shirt at her back. She sighed contentedly and pulled her feet up curl closer against his chest. Her beer sat on his thigh, seeping condensation into his jeans and they both watched the drops fall from the bottle.

"Tonight was weird," Andy said quietly. "It is weird."

"Why?" Sam asked, his hand spreading across the warm skin of her back.

"My worlds collided even more than normal," she explained as her head fell gently onto his shoulder. "With Maggie here, you know? And it made me realize that I'm not ready to go home yet. I'm really happy in this world. I love my dad and Ronnie and Maggie, but… This is home now."

"It's just for the summer, Andy," he said even though he didn't really want her to leave either. But she had to. "Everyone will be back here in a few months for Jerry's beginning of the year bonfire. It'll fly by."

"And you say I'm a terrible liar," she laughed sadly and he chuckled against the crown of her head. He kissed it quickly before bringing his beer to his lips to take a slow sip. Andy did the same as Boo finally calmed down and rested his chin on her shin. "I'm going to miss you idiots," she said, putting her beer behind her so she could pet his dog.

"We'll miss you, too," he promised, looking over at the two of them.

If anyone were to ask what he looked forward to most, he probably wouldn't tell them the truth, but he knew the answer. It was them. The three of them, sitting alone together, somehow tangled as one unit, in a quiet moment. Sam, Andy, Boo—it was like the family Sam always wanted when he was a kid. When his dad was railing on his mom and yelling at Sarah, when he was locked up in a tool shed, it was the picture he had in his mind—him, someone to love and to love him back, and a quiet moment. Boo kind of just made the whole thing more clear, more defined.

Andy's hand drifted from Boo's fur to Sam's chest and she pulled herself closer to him, burying her face in his neck for just a second. "Can we just pause this moment?" She whispered, looking out at their friends settling into the grass near the fire. "Like… Forever?"

"Unfornutately, not," he said, nodding definitively and she sighed. He felt the air leave her body dramatically and he smiled to himself. "But we can live it. Right now."

"At least we've got that," she agreed, tipping her head toward his and his smile grew. Her hand rested against his neck and her thumb rubbed over his dimple until his face turned serious and he kissed her. If they were going to live it, he was going to make it worth living to the fullest.