A/N Thank you to everyone for your overwhelming support of my first one-shot, Two AM. After a few suggestions I have decided to continue and create a series of one-shots. So without further ado, here is the second instalment: Seven AM. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Rookie Blue, ABC or GlobalTv. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own amusement.

Sam locked his truck and stuck his keys in his pocket, then headed across the parking lot towards the personnel entrance to the precinct. He squinted against the bright early morning sun even behind his sunglasses. Yet, despite a dull headache from lack of sleep and the crash down from an adrenaline high, he had a slight spring in his step, a coffee in hand. It was not unlike another walk he had taken not too long ago. Only this time, he had chosen not to do anything to jinx things and had decided against picking up a second cup of coffee.

He pulled off his sunglasses and clipped the onto the neck of his t-shirt to free up his hand, but instead found himself stepping back as the back door to the precinct was pushed out towards him, Andy flying out like a hurricane. "Hey."

She glanced up, realizing who it was she had just about bowled over, her expression becoming a little sheepish. "Hey."

Sam eyed her carefully, trying to read her face and gauge the situation. "Everything okay?"

She bit her lip. "I came early to talk to Luke before shift."

He nodded, not really sure what else to do. He knew firing her off a big grin was probably not appropriate. While a door might finally be opening for them, it did mean another was closing for her. Luke was a good guy, and under any other circumstances, Sam would not wish him any heartbreak or Andy the responsibility of causing it. "Guess I don't have to ask how that went."

Andy just nodded slowly, releasing a slow exhalation. She surprised him then as she reached for his left wrist, turning it a little so she could read his watch. "We still have twenty-five minutes before Parade. Can we go for a walk?"

He found himself nodding before his brain could even process the request. He chucked his coffee into a nearby trash can, put his hand in the small of her back, and led her away from the precinct.

For a couple of minutes, the two walked in silence. Both were physically exhausted, and Andy was feeling it emotionally, as well. However, she also felt as if some huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Sam had been right the night before – she had never had to fake one moment she had spent with him. Everything about him scared her, but she knew now it was because everything with him was so real. Raw, even. He had seen her at her worst, at her most vulnerable. He had also helped her achieve her best. And as she looked up and took in his strong profile¸ she felt her breath catch at the realization that this could really happen now.

Another realization hitting her, Andy furrowed her brow. "I don't know if we should ride together anymore," she blurted out.

Sam raised his eyebrows, stopping on the sidewalk and turning to look at her. "Come again?"

"Isn't it going to be awkward?"

"Seriously? We make it through weeks of riding together after whatever it was that happened between us the night of the blackout, and you think this is going to be awkward?"

She bit her lip, and then shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, what if it doesn't work out?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think it won't work out?"

Andy averted her gaze.

Sam took a breath, then reached out and tilted her chin up so their eyes met again. "You trust me?"

It took her a second, but she finally nodded slowly. "Of course. With my life."

"Then you should know you can trust me with your heart, too."

"It's not you I don't trust."

"Well, I trust you. Not just to have my back. Look, Andy, I know it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be messy, and with your impulsiveness and my temper, it's gonna be frustrating at times..." His eyes twinkled then, the lop-sided grin that made her heartbeat quicken tugging at his lips. "But it's also going to be a hell of a lot of fun, I can promise you that."

She could not help but smile.

"But look, we're good partners, McNally. We know each other's moves, and we balance each other out. I'm not your T.O. anymore, so we're not gonna be breaking any rules or have to sneak around. So I don't see any reason to quit riding together."

"I think we need some ground rules, then."

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "You should know by now, sweetheart: I tend to colour outside the lines."

Andy rolled her eyes. "I think we should set the rules. What we do when you break them...we'll figure that out later."

He smirked. It was good to see her loosen up, all real tension gone from her stance and from behind her eyes. Any awkwardness between them now was only attributable to the fact that they were navigating a new relationship. "In all seriousness, this is just between us. Out of respect to Callaghan, and you, I'm not about to flaunt this around the precinct. Say what you will about me, I'm still a pretty private guy. And we don't need a bunch of eyes on us while we're trying to figure all of this out."

"So we're agreed: when we're on duty, we're Officers Swarek and McNally. Only when the uniforms come off –"

"And do you see that happening sooner or more likely later?" he quipped.

"I'm trying to be serious here!" she insisted.

He flashed his dimpled grin. "Fine. Fine. No making out in the squad car, no sex in Interrogation One...Got it."

Her face reddened.

"Anything else?"

She gulped. "Uh, no, I think that covers it."

Sam smiled then. Not a mischievous, lop-sided grin or a smirk, but a real, honest smile. Like the one that had graced his face the night before after he had finally laid eyes on her and called out her name at the warehouse. "So, since we're leaving this all behind once the uniform comes on...Dinner tonight. I was thinking we should get out of the city. There's this great seafood place on the water in Mississauga."

"Yeah, Snug Harbour."

"Sound good?"

She nodded with a slightly shy smile.

"So, it's a date."

"Yeah, it's a date."

"Do you, uh – Do you want to go home first after shift? Or -?"

She almost laughed in surprise, he actually sounded a little nervous. "I brought a change of clothes. Just give me a little time to shower and change, but we can leave from here. I mean, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, yeah, that works for me," he agreed.

"Okay. Great."

They both stood there for a moment, looking at each other, then anywhere but at one another.

Finally, Sam glanced at his watch. Seeing that they only had a few minutes left before they had to get back to the station to change into uniform and get ready for Parade, he cleared his throat. "So, I was just thinkin'...You know, first dates are always real awkward, you know, the girl wondering, 'Is he going to kiss me?', and the guy wondering, 'Does she want me to kiss her?' Maybe we should just get that first kiss out of the way."

Andy's eyes sparkled. "Just to make tonight less awkward. Your altruism amazes me."

"What can I say? I'm just that kinda guy."

"Right." She stepped closer. "There's just one flaw in your logic."

He licked his lips and felt his throat getting dry. "And what's that?"

"It won't be our first kiss."

"It'll be the first with nothing standing in the way of how good we can be together."

"I like the sound of that." She closed the remaining distance between them, her hands sliding up to rest on his chest.

Sam looked down at her, a little in awe that she was really there, that this was really happening. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands before he slowly lowered his face to capture her lips. At first the kiss was gentle, but by mutual agreement, it quickly deepened.

When they finally came up for air, Andy's eyes widened. "Oh, right, like riding together's not going to be awkward now at all," she drawled sardonically.

Sam smirked. "Ah, c'mon, McNally, where's your sense of adventure? All this sexual tension? That's what's gonna make it so much fun!"