#mcswarek

She did her best to hold in her giggle when Sam yelled at the guy crossing the street who almost went splat on his car. "What are you practicing your bad cop routine for guns and gangs?" She snarked instead.

"I haven't decided yet."

She thought it was odd he wouldn't look at her while saying it, plus she knew how much he loved undercover. And considering she ruined his last op, she figured he'd be ready to get back at it. "What's holding you back?"

"You." He said it so quickly, without thinking. She was caught off guard, and it didn't help Oliver looked surprised as well. "I love working with you McNally. Can't imagine my life without you in it."

She knew he was being sarcastic, but a part of her was wishing it was the truth. She felt the butterflies in her stomach just at the thought of Sam really meaning it. So to keep from saying what she really wanted to, which was she loved having him in her life too, she came back with "You get to wear all that hair gel again." Thankfully she was saved from saying anything else stupid by her radio crackling to life with a problem she had to go handle.

She missed Sam's longing look and his quiet "see ya later," but Oliver sure as hell didn't.

"What was that?!" Oliver questioned as soon as they started pulling away.

"What?!"

"Sammy that was a confession if I ever heard one! Have you two talked?! I thought she just moved in with Callaghan?"

"She did. We haven't. It was nothing. I... I do enjoy working with her. And she still has a lot to learn. She needs someone around looking after her."

"And that's you huh? None of us would be good enough?"

"Never said that." Sam parks the cruiser off to the side. "Gonna see if they need help. Should be closing the doors soon."

"Yea.. yea. Sure. Of course." Oliver rolled his eyes as he got out following Sam.

Sam sees her talking to the girl and he can't help but shake his head at her big heart. He checks in and then wanders off. It's not even five seconds and he feels his heart drop to his shoes as shots are fired. He turns just in time to see Andy falling to the sidewalk. He reacts on instinct and pushes through the crowd to get to her.

"Andy, Andy. Just breathe. Lie back. Breathe." He keeps repeating it over and over as he pulls her vest apart. He doesn't feel like he takes a full breath himself until he sees the bullet stuck in her vest.

"Andy you're ok. Its in your vest. Just try to breathe." He goes to pull away to take control of the scene while Oliver is putting pressure on the girl's wound, but Andy grabs ahold of him like her life is depending on it.

"Andy, Andy. You're ok. You're just winded. The bullets in your vest. You're ok. But I gotta be the boss right now. I'll be back." It kills him to rip away from her, but he knows he has to. He's senior officer on scene and he has to get control. It doesn't stop him from continually glancing back at her though.

Once Kate has been taken off in the ambulance and Jerry arrives, things calm down a bit. Andy ends up over near the communications trailer while Sam and Oliver give Jerry an update. When Rosati walks up, Sam does his best to play dumb. He doesn't know her personally, but he's heard the rumors about her and Callaghan.

As soon as she walks off to Andy he turns to Jerry. "Rosati?! Really?!"

"What'd you want me to do?! Luke's in court and it would be a conflict for him?"

"But her?!"

"We don't know if any of it's true," Jerry says, exasperated with his friend.

Oliver claps his hand on Sam's shoulder, feeling the same frustration as Jerry. "It'll be fine. Andy can handle it. And if it is true, well... we'll, we'll handle it when it comes up."

"He proposed to her!!!"

"We don't know that Sam!" Jerry rolls his eyes as he rubs his eyebrows. "Go wait for McNally or whatever it is you want to do. I've got this," he sighs waving around at the scene.

Sam huffs as he walks off. He goes and waits outside the communications trailer, praying to a God he doesn't believe in that the rumors were false. He's not sure how Andy will come out of this, if they were true.

His thoughts are cut short when he hears the door open and sees her coming out, blood still splattered over the side of her face. He grabs her arm and pulls her around to the side, out of sight of everyone. He has to make sure she's ok.

"Sam that was really scary and it hurts so bad. I'm alright, I'm alright," she reassures at the desperation she can feel coming off him in waves. "I've already got this bruise that's forming..." She was going to show him the bruise, ask what she can do to help with the pain, but his hands are pulling her face up.

He doesn't even realize how desperate his actions seem, but he just has to see her, feel her, and make sure she really is ok. He leans in to kiss her without thinking before she quietly says his name, looking over his shoulder.

He sees the kid with the gun and pushes her towards the truck telling her to get behind it, knowing she doesn't have her vest anymore. As soon as the kids in cuffs and he's called it in, he makes eye contact with her. She gives him a slight nod and he knows this is where they're going to have to part for the time being. Another nod to reassure him she'll be ok, and he's off to his squad car leaving her with Oliver.

Once back at the station, Sam can't help but check on her. She's cleaning up just as Luke barges in. Sam takes his leave, but checks on her again once he sees her talking to the roommate. He can't help but admire her strength and resilience during this time. He also can't stop himself from observing Luke and Jo. His gut is telling him the rumors are true and this is going to end horribly.

"Think you were right," Jerry murmurs as they're refilling their coffee. "Where's Andy?"

"Taking the roommate back to the apartment."

Before they can go any further Dov calls them into the parade room where the witnesses were looking at pictures. Sam's phone rings before he has a chance to call Andy. The minute he realizes she's alone on campus, he's internally berating himself for letting her go alone. He's the first one to the lot and out of the gate.

His heart races the whole drive over. If anything else happens to her, he's not sure he could take it. He tries to reach her on the radio, but silence is his only answer. He sees her coming down the fire escape as he's skidding the car to a stop, and he can tell in her eyes she's done. He gently grabs her arm and pulls her over to him, shielding her from everyone else's view. "You're ok. It's over," he murmurs over and over.

Once he's sure she's steady, he puts her in his car, knowing someone else can drive her's back. It's a silent ride back to the barn, but if anyone understands it's him.

"Go clean up and grab your bag. I can take you home."

"Thanks," she murmurs. Once inside she heads to lock up to unload her gun. She keeps pulling it back over and over even though it's empty, not hearing Sam come up behind her.

"Pretty sure it's empty," he says quietly from the doorway.

"I was in charge today. I was in charge, and she got shot. A girl got shot..."

"So did you, Andy." He walks closer, moves to cup her face again, but she just shakes her head.

"I thought if we caught the guy and maybe I could understand why this happened maybe I would feel better. But I don't... I don't feel better."

His hands land on her shoulders. "Andy. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't. It was wrong place, wrong time. It wasn't your fault."

He glances over his shoulder when Andy's eyes stray to the door. "I'm ok really," she says reassuring Oliver.

"You will be," he says. He gives Sam a meaningful look and a nod and then he's gone.

"Come on Andy, let me take you home. Luke's still in interview and who knows how long he'll be."

"Uh.. yea. Yea let me just tell him."

Sam wants to protest but he gives her nod. She changes slowly and grabs her bag. She heads to interview, but Luke's not alone. He and Jo are reminiscing on old cases and old times. She watches them, listens, and knows there's more to their story. She's just too tired to care.

She shoulders her bag and goes to find Sam. As soon as he sees her, he knows; knows Luke and Jo must have been together. He takes her bag, and it's a testament to how much pain she's in that she lets him. "It's going to be ok Andy. Everything is going to be ok."

"I'm not taking time off," she says as they get in the truck.

"Nobody said you had to. But.. a day or two would probably help with the pain from the bruise."

"I'm fine."

"So you keep saying." He goes to start the truck and stops. He turns toward her; "It's ok to not be ok Andy."

She gives him the teary doe eyed look with a nod. "I don't want to be alone tonight," she confesses after several minutes of silence and staring at each other.

"Want me to take you to Traci's?"

"No."

"Your dad's?"

"Not really."

"Ok. Where to then McNally?"

There's several beats of silence before she says, "Your place?"

"Ok.. ok." He knows it's a terrible idea, especially since she's with Luke and they haven't talked. But he can't tell her no tonight. Not after the day she just had. So he puts the truck in drive and heads to his place.