This story begins during Best Laid Plans, but it takes a much different turn. Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

=====Pretend======

"I'm coming over."

After hanging up the phone, Andy quickly throws the cat food back into the cabinet, heads out the door and makes her way to Sam's. She can't seem to get there fast enough as she jogs down the street towards his house. She's got this giant grin on her face and she's just itching to see him.

She starts to speed up into a steady run and once she's about halfway there, her phone starts to ring, forcing her to slow down and fish it out of her pocket. She doesn't recognize the number, but she answers it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." A smile plays on her lips as she hears the familiar sound of Sam's voice.

"Hey," she replies. "Whose phone is this?" She asks, glancing again at the unknown number flashing on the screen.

"Boyd's." He informs her as if it's completely normal for him to be calling her from Boyd's phone.

"Oh… why are you calling me from Boyd's phone?" She inquires as she gets a sinking feel in the pit of her stomach.

"I had to leave my phone at home…. the op is starting early… I'm uh… I'm going undercover tonight." He explains.

"What! Tonight? Why?" She exclaims, stopping dead in her tracks. "What happened to having three weeks?" She adds.

"They found someone to make the introduction tomorrow morning," he informs her.

"Oh…" She says softly, as she wonders whether he's already listened to her voicemail. Honestly, the thought makes her feel a little dizzy.

"Yeah, but my partner bailed at the last minute… she wasn't prepared to go for another few weeks" he tells her.

"Partner? I didn't realize you were going under with someone else," she replies. And yeah, that realization instantly makes Andy feel uncomfortable. Thinking about Sam spending months and months alone with another woman… she doesn't love it.

"Yeah, they want me to have back up, so she was going to play my fiancée." He explains.

The more he speaks, the worse she feels. She really doesn't like the idea of him playing house with someone else for God knows how long. Thoughts of him with some beautiful blonde start to fill her mind. She imagines them making breakfast together in their pajamas, snuggling up on the couch while watching the hockey game, kissing and holding each other in front of strangers to sell their cover. And by the time he finally interrupts her thoughts, she's already starting to feel sick.

"Andy? You still there?" He asks. It's then that she realizes she hasn't said anything in far too long.

"Yeah, I'm here," she confirms. "So uh what are you going to do now?" She questions.

"Well… I was kind of hoping you'd want the job." He says with a slight laugh and a smile dancing on his lips.

"Really? Boyd is okay with that?" She asks with a grin.

"Well, I may have reminded him of how well you did last time," he tells her.

"Yeah well, I did kind of save your ass," she says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you did," he agrees, still smiling. "So… what do you think?" He probes.

"We have to leave tonight?" She inquires.

"Yeah," he says with a sigh, waiting for the inevitable decline of his last minute invitation. It was silly of him to get his hopes up anyway. He should've known that she wasn't serious when she offered to come with him this afternoon.

"Well… I wouldn't mind getting away for a while…" She teases. And a smile instantly spreads across his face.

"That's the spirit," he tells her with a bit of sarcasm. "Are you at Traci's? Can you be ready in 20 minutes?" He asks, gesturing to Boyd with a thumbs up.

"I was actually on my way to your place…" She informs him, sheepishly.

"My place?" He asks. "Why?" He wonders.

"So, I'm walking down Grove Street… can you pick me up?" She asks, purposefully ignoring his question.

"Uh… sure… I'm just at the station right now… I have to grab a couple things and then we'll come pick you up in… I don't know, ten minutes? Then we can go by Traci's so you can pack," he tells her.

"Great, see you soon." Andy says before hanging up the phone, as she tries to process what just happened. What did she just agree to? She is going to go undercover with Sam Swarek. She is going to be living with Sam for months or maybe longer. She is going to have to pretend to be his fiancée. How is she going to survive this?

All of those thoughts she had moments ago of Sam and the mystery blonde… now she's imagining the two of them eating breakfast together, watching the hockey game, kissing and holding hands and trying to convince everyone around them that they are madly in love.

Her stomach is doing flips and her heart is pounding into her throat. The thought of playing house with Sam is terrifying, but she can't deny that it is also ridiculously exciting. And no matter how terrified she is, the thought of him doing this with anyone else is enough to convince her that it's the right decision.

Luckily, it's not long before an SUV pulls up beside her, effectively saving her from her thoughts.

"Hey," Sam says, as he rolls down the window.

"Hey," Andy responds, opening the car door and jumping in the back seat.

"Where to?" Boyd asks as Andy buckles her seat belt.

"Go down Chadwick," Sam instructs before Andy has a chance to answer. "And then take a right down Piper," Sam adds before he turns to face Andy in the back seat. "Thanks for doing this," he tells her, exposing his dimples with a smile.

"Thanks for asking," she responds with a smile of her own. "So, tell me everything," she requests.

"So, the guy we are going after is Jamie Brennan… here's his file," Sam informs her as he hands her a thick file detailing all of Brennan's alleged crimes.

Andy flips the file open and starts to skim the various police reports. "The last thing in here is from six years ago… there isn't anything more recent?" She asks, looking up at Sam.

"He went straight when he got married, but his wife and daughter died in a car accident a few months ago and the word is that he's gotten back into the life," Boyd explains.

Andy nods, as she continues to skim through the documents Sam gave her until they get to Traci's house.

"I've got to make a few calls, but meet me back down here in ten minutes," Boyd tells them as Sam and Andy jump out of the car.

"Sure," Sam says, before shutting the car door. He places his hand on the small of Andy's back as he leads her up the steps to Traci's front door. Andy silently thanks God that no one is home at the Nash residence. She does not want to spend the next ten minutes answering questions.

Andy quickly unlocks the door, holds it open for Sam and then follows him inside. Then, she leads him upstairs to the Nash's guest bedroom, where she has been staying since moving out of the home she shared with Luke.

Sam tries to stay out of the way as she grabs a suitcase, throws it on the bed and then starts to dig through her drawers and rifle through her closet.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Sam tells her, as he watches her nervously folding clothes and placing them in her suitcase.

"Huh?" She asks, looking up at him.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do this just because we're kind of in a bind… I'm sure we can find someone else… I just thought… I mean, earlier you made it seem like you wanted to go…" He reminds her.

A smile appears on her lips as she enjoys the way he's babbling on. "I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't want to go," she assures him.

"Okay… good." He says with a nod.

"Good," she agrees with a reassuring smile before she continues to pack up her suitcase. "So… tell me about myself," She says, while folding a Toronto Blue Jays t-shirt.

"Okay… uh, so your name is Candace Roy," he begins. "You're 28 years old and grew up in Halifax. You had a really rough childhood, in and out of foster homes because your parents were drug addicts. You started using at 16 and eventually starting dealing to support your habit. You were arrested at 17 and were placed in a juvenile facility until your eighteenth birthday. When you got out, you had a few possession charges and at 22, you were sentenced to twenty eight months in prison for intent to distribute. Your drug of choice was opiates, but you got clean in prison and have been ever since. You were able to get an administrative job at an insurance agency, but when they found out you lied on your resume, you got fired. We met shortly thereafter and you decided to move to Toronto to be with me, but you're still unemployed."

Andy nods, taking it all in and committing the story to memory, as she continues to pack her things.

"And you?" She asks.

"Jason Dupont or JD. I'm 32 and grew up just outside of Toronto. I spent five years in prison for almost killing an ex-business partner of mine who tried to rip me off. We had a decent sized smuggling operation together. I have this boat, which we used to smuggle drugs, weapons, you name it… but obviously when I went to prison, I lost a lot of my contacts. So anyway, when I got out and met Candace, I tried to go straight… for the most part… but I still do a few small jobs here and there to pay the bills… but like I said, I'm trying to go straight, so I have a job interview at Jamie Brennan's warehouse tomorrow… and word is that Jamie is looking for an assistant, so hopefully if I get this job, we can start mingling with the other employees and maybe get you a job there, too," he tells her, as he watches her zip up her luggage.

"Yeah, I mean, an assistant would have tons of access. I could get a look at his financials… I'd probably overhear a lot of conversations that you might not be able to," she thinks out loud.

"Exactly," he says with a nod.

Andy smiles and lifts her suitcase off the bed and starts making her way towards the door. Sam stops her and grabs the suitcase from her, before walking down the stairs.

"Thanks," she says, as she follows him.

As they get to the front door, Sam turns around and faces Andy. "You should call Traci and your Dad before Boyd takes your phone," he suggests.

She nods and pulls her phone out of her pocket. "I'll meet you outside," Sam says, before opening the front door and leaving Andy alone in the Nash kitchen.

===============Pretend===============

The next hour is a complete whirlwind.

Once they get to the undercover apartment, Boyd points out each and every camera and shows Sam and Andy how to work them. Afterwards, he reminds Sam what time he has to be at Jamie Brennan's warehouse the next afternoon and hands them each their new cell phones and a set of keys- one to the apartment and one the car they'll have to share.

"Don't screw this up, McNally," he tells her before walking out the front door. Both Sam and Andy roll their eyes before shutting the door behind him.

Sam blows out a breath as he follows Andy back up the stairs and watches as she explores their apartment.

"What do you think?" He asks, moving towards her.

"A lot nicer than I was expecting… I still have nightmares thinking about that apartment they stuck you in for the Anton Hill case," she says with a chuckle as she runs her hand over the kitchen table and walks towards the bed.

"You have nightmares? I'm the one who actually lived there for eight months," he laughs.

"I don't know how you did it," she says, shaking her head, before walking towards the bed.

Until now, she hadn't considered the fact that there would probably only be one bed. It made sense. They were supposed to be engaged after all.

Sam seems to immediately pick up on her thoughts. "Don't worry, I can sleep on the couch," he tells her as he stands beside her.

Andy glances over at the couch and then turns back towards him. "Sam, that couch is tiny. There is no way you can sleep on that thing every night for God knows how long," she argues.

"I'll be fine," he says, waving her off.

"Sam, we're adults, we can sleep in the same bed," she announces, confidently. "It's not like I'm going to jump you in your sleep," she teases.

He chuckles at her words as a smile graces his lips. "I don't know, McNally… are you sure you'll be able to keep your hands off me?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows and flashing his dimples.

"I think I'll manage," she tells him with a roll of her eyes.

"Mhm…" he says, as if he doubts what she's saying.

"Who are you kidding? You'd love it!" She jokes. Now it's his turn to roll his eyes.

"Seriously Sam, you're really going to sleep on the couch?" She doubts. "If you're really worried, we can build a pillow wall in between us," she quips.

"Hilarious," he says, sarcastically.

"C'mon, you're being ridiculous," she informs him.

"Fine McNally, you win. If it means that much to you, I'll sleep in the bed with you," he tells her, triumphantly.

"Shut up," she says, rolling her eyes. "Now you're definitely sleeping on the couch," she jokes.

"You can't take it back now, McNally," he retorts with a smile as he walks over to the fridge and opens it up, inspecting what's inside. "Beer?" He offers.

"Yes please!" She says, enthusiastically.

Sam lets out a laugh before he meets her in the middle of the room and hands her the bottled beer after twisting the cap off for her.

"Thank you," she says, before taking a sip and following Sam over to the couch. He swiftly kicks his shoes off, collapses on the couch and puts his feet on the coffee table. Andy slips her shoes off, as well, as then sits down beside him. She ends up sitting much closer to him than he was expecting, but he doesn't mind.

"So…" He begins.

"So…?" She repeats, glancing over at him.

"Why were you on your way to my house?" He asks. The question has been on his mind ever since she casually mentioned it earlier that night.

"Oh, that… I just wanted to tell you something," she says with a nervous shrug.

"Well, I'm all ears," he replies, turning towards her so they're facing each other.

"It's not important," she insists.

"Yet, you were going to walk all the way to my place, in this weather, to tell me? You do have my number, McNally," he reminds her.

"I know… it's nothing. I'll tell you later," she says, dismissively, hoping he'll let it go.

"Okay…" He says, with a confused look on his face. Truthfully, the last thing he wants to do is let this go. It's just that, the way she's acting… it's making him want to know even more. He's wracking his brain, trying to figure out what on earth she would've wanted to tell him, but he comes up with nothing.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" She asks, trying to change the subject.

"Uh, well, I'm meeting my contact at 1:00 and then we're meeting Jamie at two. I'll probably be done around 3:00… do you want to give me a ride so you can have the car?" He asks.

"Sure… it's probably a good idea to make myself known around there, so I have a better chance at getting that assistant job," she thinks out loud. Sam nods in agreement. "So, what am I supposed to be doing while you're at your interview?" She asks after finishing off her beer. She jumps off the couch and grabs another one from the fridge.

"Maybe you can get some groceries?" He suggests. "I don't think we'll survive very long on the beer and frozen pizzas that's in there."

"Okay, make me a list and I'll stop by the store," she says, before plopping down on the couch.

"We've been here forty five minutes and it's like we're already married," he jokes, causing her to roll her eyes.

"That reminds me," he tells her before getting off the couch and digging through his luggage.

"What are you doing?" She asks, peering over the back of the couch.

"Ah, here it is," he says before walking back towards her. He is holding something in his hand, but she can't see what it is.

"What?" She asks, as he sits down on the couch beside her. This time he is facing her and they are sitting even closer than before. His knee is touching her thigh, but she doesn't move it. He opens his palm, exposing a diamond engagement ring. He picks it up with his other hand and presents it to her.

"We're engaged, remember?" He asks, when he sees her confused expression.

"I remember," she says, simply. "Are you sure JD would have bought Candace a ring? I mean, this looks expensive and they're both unemployed," she explains.

Sam furrows his brow. "Yes, JD definitely would have bought Candace a ring," he says confidently. For some reason, the thought of her not having a ring is completely unacceptable to him. "If it makes you feel better, we can pretend he bought it with drug money," he concedes.

"Okay," she agrees. Sam takes Andy's hand and slowly slides the ring on her finger. Her skin is tingling from his touch, but she doesn't want it to stop. When he lets go of her hand, she takes a moment to admire her new jewelry. It fits surprisingly well and it's actually really beautiful.

"Where'd you get this?" She wonders.

"The evidence room. Picked it out just for you, McNally," he says, only half teasing. "Like it?" He asks.

"Way nicer than my last one," she says. The second it comes out, she regrets bringing up her engagement to Luke, but Sam doesn't seem to let it bother him.

"Yeah, we'll this one seemed more like you," he tells her, as if it's nothing. But, he's right. This ring is completely her. She definitely wouldn't mind having an engagement ring that looks exactly like this. Her stomach does a flip at the thought that he knows her so well, and at the fact that he actually thought about her when he picked it out. She knows it's silly. They aren't actually engaged. They aren't even dating. Yet, she still loves the fact that he actually considered whether she would like it when he picked it out.

"It's beautiful," she tells him as she meets his gaze. She wants to tell him how much it means to her, but for now, she's hoping that he can tell simply from the look in her eyes.

He smiles, flashing his dimples and she turns her attention back to the beautiful ring that has suddenly made a permanent home on her finger.

"Do you think Candace would like it?" She teases.

"She better. J.D. spent a lot of money on it." They both laugh, but then the apartment falls silent.

"So, this is what you had to pick up from the station?" She asks.

"That and some untraceable guns… can't really use our government issued ones," he reminds her. She nods, still mesmerized by the diamond on her finger.

"So… did this belong to a murder victim or something?" She asks, referencing the ring once again. "Wait, do I want to know?" She questions, before he has the chance to answer.

"I'm hurt, McNally, you really think I would give you a ring that I stole from a dead woman?" He asks, pretending to be offended.

Andy shrugs with a teasing look on her face, causing Sam to let out a chuckle. "They bagged it along with a bunch of stolen property… couldn't find the real owner, so it's been sitting in evidence for years," he explains.

Andy nods, while playing with the ring on her finger. "I can't believe it fits… how'd you know my ring size?" She asks.

"Lucky guess," he tells her.

She eyes him for a moment, unsure whether she should believe him.

"It's getting kind of late… we should probably get ready for bed," Sam declares, effectively changing the subject.

Andy glances at the clock and then back at Sam. "Yeah, let's go," she agrees.

===============Pretend===============

It's about forty five minutes later that the two of them are lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.

"Do you think everyone's gonna miss us?" Andy asks, out of the blue, as she shifts in the bed to face him.

"Of course, McNally, we're awesome," he replies, earning a brief chuckle from the woman beside him.

"It's weird, though. I'm used to seeing them every day and now… who knows the next time I'll get to see any of them," she muses.

"Having second thoughts?" He questions as he props his head up on an elbow.

She consider the question for a moment before decisively shaking her head. "No… like I said, I needed to get away," she assures him.

"From Callahan?" He wonders. Although, he regrets the question the moment it leaves his lips. The last thing he wants to be discussing right now is how much she misses him.

"Yes and no," she admits. "I mean, I'm completely over him… I was over him a lot faster than you should get over someone you were about to marry," she adds, taking Sam by surprise. "It's weird, you'd think I would be heartbroken, you know? But, I'm not… never was. I was just… pissed. I still am… I'm pissed at him, obviously and pissed at Jo, but mostly I'm just pissed at myself… I mean, why did I move in with him? Why did I agree to marry him? We hadn't even been together for that long and I accidentally find this ring and he proposes and I just say yes? It was almost like a reflex or something… And yeah, I was happy, but I don't know… I don't think I was happy enough to get married," she explains. "I just don't know why I let him rush me into all of that. I think that maybe I was just trying to force it, you know? Because it was normal and I just… I never had normal growing up and I desperately wanted it. And I guess that I thought he was the safe choice… but in reality, I'd been having a lot of doubts about him… about us. I'm just pissed that I didn't listen to my gut when it was telling me that something was off," she confesses.

She's not sure why she's telling him all of this. She can't imagine this is anything close to the conversation he would like to be having at this moment, but for some reason, she just couldn't stop the word vomit from coming out of her mouth. The thing is, it's kind of nice to finally say it out loud.

"So… why didn't you?" Sam asks when he realizes that Andy is finished speaking.

His question surprises her. The fact that he was even listening surprises her.

"I mean, it didn't seem like you had any doubts," he adds, sensing her shock.

"I don't know," she shrugs. "I guess I just thought that I was just freaking out… having cold feet, you know? I thought that he'd make me happy, that we would be happy together… I mean, everyone was pushing me towards him, even you," she reminds him. And the way she says it isn't angry or accusatory, but he immediately cringes at her words, knowing that they're the truth.

"God, Andy, if I had known he was going to do… that, I never would have… I thought he was the safe choice, too. I thought he made you happy and I just… I want you to be happy," he tells her, struggling to find the right words as he nervously runs his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry," he adds.

"Sam, this isn't your fault. I'm the one that agreed to marry him," she reminds him. "Anyway, I'm just happy to get away from him and from everyone else at 15. I'm so sick of seeing the pity in everyone's eyes. I just feel like every time they look at me, they still see the woman whose fiancé cheated on her," she says, staring back up at the ceiling.

"Andy, that's not what they see," he assures her.

"Yes it is… it's written all over their faces," she retorts.

"Well, you know what I see when I look at you?" he asks, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "I see an incredible cop who never ceases to amaze and impress me. I see an absurdly tenacious woman who always has this unrelenting belief in people. I see the person who always calls me out when I'm being an ass. I see the best partner I've ever had," he tells her.

And yeah, she desperately biting the inside of her cheeks to stop her eyes from watering. That was probably one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to her and he's acting as if it's no big deal.

"Thanks, Sam," she says with a smile, because there's no way she could string a sentence together at this moment.

"You're welcome," he replies, with a smile of his own. After that, they lie in silence for a few minutes.

"Goodnight," Andy tells him before she drifts off to sleep.

"Goodnight, McNally."

===============Pretend===============

When he wakes up the next morning, he almost laughs out loud. Somehow all of the blankets migrated to Andy's side of the bed, during the night, leaving him with absolutely nothing.

"You hog the covers," he whispers, when he sees her eyes fluttering open.

"Do not," she argues, still half asleep. She stretches and sits up before looking at the two of them in bed together. And when she sees that he's right, she laughs. "Sorry," she apologizes with a smile.

He responds with a smile of his own and as his eyes land on her face, he can't help but notice how beautiful she looks in the morning.

"Coffee?" She mumbles.

"Are you offering or asking?" He teases.

"Shut up," she says, playfully slapping his arm. He lets out a laugh, gets out of bed and walks towards the kitchen to get the coffee started.

And as he walks away, Andy can't stop herself from watching. He's wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt and, well, they're definitely working for him.

Sam spends a minute in the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker, scooping the grinds, adding the water and pulling two mugs from the cabinet. Once he's done, he turns back to face her and almost catches her staring.

"Unless you want pizza for breakfast, we should probably go grab something," he suggests.

She nods. "Okay."

"If I let you take the first shower, are you going to use all the hot water?" He wonders with a knowing smirk.

"Possibly," she admits with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, I'll be quick," he tells her with a laugh, before disappearing into the bathroom.

She blows out a breath before getting out of bed and pouring coffee for the two of them. She immediately downs the cup she made for herself, sits down at the kitchen table and looks around her new home, before realizing that she should probably unpack.

She hangs up a few dresses and shirts in the closet before walking over to the dresser. She decides that she will take the three drawers on the left and leave the three on the right for Sam. As she starts to unpack the rest of her suitcase, she realizes that she definitely did not pack enough clothes and makes a mental note to go shopping while Sam is at work. Just as she finishes throwing the rest of her clothes in her drawers, she hears the water turn off.

"All yours," Sam announces, as he walks out of the bathroom. She looks up to see Sam wearing nothing but a towel as he chest glistens with residual water from his shower. And yeah, it's hard not to stare.

"Uh… thanks," she replies, after realizing that she is definitely gawking at him. She immediately looks away, grabs a towel and walks past him, making her way to the bathroom.

Sam heads over to the kitchen to find a cup of coffee waiting for him, just the way he likes it, and he can't but smile at the sight. He's never lived with anyone before, but he could definitely get used to living with McNally, even if she does hog the covers.

After taking a big sip of coffee, he quickly dries off and changes into jeans and a t-shirt. He notices that Andy unpacked her stuff, so he decides he should do the same. He grabs his boxers and socks from his suitcase, opens the top drawer on the left to throw them in, and freezes when he sees what's inside.

Andy's underwear. And it's really tiny and sexy underwear.

How did he miss that when she was packing at Tracy's?

After slamming the drawer shut, he starts to wonder why she would pack such sexy underwear and for a brief moment, he considers whether she packed it for him. However, he immediately dismisses the thought and tries to rid his mind of the intruding images of Andy wearing the contents of that drawer just for him.

He opens the top drawer on the right, which is thankfully empty, and throws his boxers and socks inside before he continues to unpack his clothes.

About ten minutes later, he finishes unpacking all of his stuff when he finally hears the water turn off in the bathroom. Moments later, Andy appears, followed by a cloud of steam and wearing nothing but a towel.

Sam swallows hard, unable to take his eyes off of her. Luckily, she doesn't seem to notice.

"Did you see that I left the drawers on the right for you?" She asks, when she sees his empty suitcase.

"Yeah, uh, thanks," he responds. She nods and starts opening drawers and taking clothes out. And he can't help but notice the white lacey thong she grabs from the top drawer.

Yeah, living with her may be more difficult than he thought.

===============Pretend===============

Okay, there is chapter one. Let me know if I should continue. I have a lot of ideas of where the story can go, but I'm always open to suggestions as well.

Please review!