"Good morning McNally. You look absolutely ravishing... Nash's first day and your going out there hunger over. Nice work. Real rookie move."

"Okay. I've been doing his job for two years now." *cue Sam's oh really look* "I know exactly what I'm doing... And I'm not hungover."

"You got sparkles in your hair." - Classic McSwarek 3.04

Strike Three. Chapter 12. Detectives.

I don't own Rookie Blue.

"Alright. Dismissed." Frank clasps his hands together in dismissal.

Frank gets a rush course through his body as he takes in that his division is at a full, one hundred percent today. All of his officers are back on duty where he can keep his eyes on them to know they are safe under his care. He watches as his officers exit the parade room for just a moment then he catches a discussion with Marlo as they leave the room together.

All the officers have fled to their jobs for the day, all except for three officers. The girls still feel last night pounding in their heads. Gail and Chloe especially, they drop their heads onto the desk in front of them the moment Frank leaves and they place their cheeks on the cold desk facing each other. They all successfully made it to parade on time, actually they made it earlier than needed. Chris made sure of it before he journeyed back to Timmins. He woke up Chloe and Gail, slowly, but surely, then he drove to Andy's apartment to pick her up. She opened her door on his second knock inviting her best friend in. They talked while she made him a coffee to go. Actually, they have a conversation that hits home for Andy. He promised to call her the moment he makes it home and then they make their way out to his car to see a sleeping pair of Gail and Chloe.

"I need another coffee." Gail groans. "Where is Chris when I need him?"

A thumping noise starts to sound from the back of the parade room. It's Nick and Dov, again. Now they are playing their own videos from last night on their phones. The smiles on the boys' faces are incredible because of their accomplishments. Chloe and Gail aren't interested in it enough to turn her head around, although Gail groans when they sit directly behind them.

On the far left of the table Andy is closest to the door. Her leg bouncing up and down as she quickly, messily, shoves her papers into todays folder. She doesn't notice the boys. Nick is about to get her attention but she rises from her chair and swiftly slips out of the room and into the hall. Still fumbling with her papers as Nick watches her leave.

Nick takes a moment in his head to reveal in last nights events. Gail's dare was to kiss someone she loved. When Chloe and Traci told her this, she knew she wasn't going to kiss them or Dov, even though she loves them all so much. She wanted to take that chance to kiss Nick once more. And so she did. They did. They kissed. Nick doesn't know what he thinks about their kiss, frankly, because he doesn't think anything of it he isn't sweating it. The only thing he is nervous about is Andy. One second he sees her hurts eyes watching him, think he and Gail got back together. Thinking he left her, their friendship. But then the next second she figures out the truth, he and Gail are not a couple again. More than that, Andy sees the two kissing in the middle of a club. Nick knows she had an emotional day, he also knows exactly how she is going to deal with it. He cuts his and Dov's fun short for the moment and tells him they should get going. Andy has probably already left the parking lot. If Nick knows anything for certain about Andy, it's that she can channel her thoughts away and dive straight into her work.

Andy is more alert than usual. Maybe it has something to do with the fact she has an unsolved case. Or maybe it's the fact that her partner on the case is a certain detective. Andy needs to talk to Sam about last night. Whether it's about their almost kiss or their off duty adventure, either way she needs one of these squared away in order to ease her thoughts. She can't process what happened with Nick, because really, nothing happened at all. She and Nick are friends, his love life, who he kisses isn't her drama, it doesn't affect her thoughts in any way. If anything, ANdy feels a bit less than pathetic at how she thought Nick actually had a crush on her.

I mean, he did kiss me on the cheek last night? Right? Andy holds in her blushing cheeks as, once again, thoughts of her adventure last night flood her mind.

She sets her destination as the detectives office, secretly hoping only Sam is there. She actually doesn't know if she will run into Traci, she doesn't know if she called in sick or is working stealthily this morning. If she is she may have to explain last night to her.

Andy stops dead in her tracks in the doorway of the detectives office. Neither Sam nor Traci are in the office.

"Luke?" She steps into the office more to survey the area.

It is Luke. It's odd to not see him in his usual suit and tie, but wrapped in a plaid button up and dark jeans. He's obviously here on official business since she finds him going through case boxes.

"Andy." He looks up from opening the second box on the empty desk across from Sam's. "Hey." He offers her a warm smile.

She doesn't reciprocate it. She's annoyed. Where is Sam? "What are you doing here?"

Luke pulls a stack of papers out, and lowers his voice. "Hey, Andy. How are you?" He nods his head. "I'm great Luke thanks!" He uplifts his shoulders. "How are you?" He looks up, straight at her. "I'm swell Andy, thanks for asking."

Andy isn't phased by his immaturity. She lets him sift through the box a bit to let silence weaken him. "Where is Traci?"

"She called in sick, might be coming in for the night shift later." Luke drops the papers in his hands and crosses his arms to face her. "Thought you would know that."

Andy swallows. "I had a busy morning." She could gather that Traci called in sick by her lack of presence in the office. She really was aiming at to find out where Sam is. Andy tries to motion for him to go on with a nod so she doesn't have to come out and ask.

Luke sighs. "Swarek's out."

"Where is he?" Andy chimes in immediately at the sound of Sam.

Luke chuckles a laugh.

Andy knows she isn't going to get more of an answer out of him. She rolls her head and starts to turn around.

"I'm glad you're doing well too, Andy." Luke tells her in the most compassionate way he can.

Andy turns back around. She examines his newly shaven face and glowing ora. She swallows at the idea of Luke dating, of Luke being with another woman. "Okay." She bites. "So why are you here?"

Luke looks back up to see Andy is still in front of him. Her eyes are a little bit sneered at him. He gives her a look back, that detective look. The look where he can't tell her why he's here, the one where he's not allowed to tell her.

Andy puts it together. She purses her lips and nods her head. "Oh. Congrats."

There goes Frank's full house.

"Yeah I'll be sure not to have to hand this one off like last time." Luke secretly informs her. "And not get a rough start for the team."

Luke was head on Project Dakota for Andy and Nick. Things got rough when he had to transfer the project to somebody else. Luckily, Blackstone juggles things for a living. Luke never got a chance to get down to Fort Erie. He was on work overload at 15 because of the lack of detectives and Traci still needing a partner. Luke easily concluded that Traci is more important than a task force.

Andy nods in agreement, trying not to let her thoughts reveal in the past.

"Traci's really excelling." Luke hovers over his old desk full of files.

Andy doesn't know how to respond to this either. She doesn't really know how Traci is excelling, she hasn't been back that long. She tries to nod in agreement again.

Luke catches her eyes and understands this. He finds it weird, yes, weird, that she isn't all about Traci anymore. He can tell by the way she isn't talking his ear off. Andy seems distant from her, distant from everyone. He hasn't officially read Dakota, so he doesn't know what's up yet. But he'll be sure too. He stands up straight to genuinely look in her eyes. He opens his mouth to speak.

Andy gets bumped from behind.

"Hey Andy! I've been looking for ya everywhere!" Chloe nudges in behind. She takes in the settle intensity between Andy and Luke.

Chloe starts to ramble. "Is this det-"

Andy gives Luke one last look and then pulls Chloe along with her.

"Have a good shift ladies." Luke tells their backs.

Andy is one hundred percent annoyed. She goes to look for Sam, one thing she wishes she didn't have too. The second thing is to find Luke instead. Andy pats her pocket to get her phone out to call Sam, she realizes her phone isn't there.

They then reach the parking lot and Chloe feels it's safe to gossip.

"Oh wow was that detective homicide?" Chloe playfully slaps Andy on the chest. "He is adorable and dreamy and-"

Andy's eyes catch the sight in front of her. She softly shuts Chloe up with a hand to her side to stop talking about Luke, it's not safe to gossip just yet.

"And I'll meet you in the squad." Chloe murmurs.

Andy pleads her with a look not to leave her side but Chloe escapes anyways.

Nick is still in the parking lot. Here he thought she would be the first one out but she is actually the last. Maybe Nick doesn't know her that way. He gives her that Prince Charming smile because Andy let's Nick approach her. He gets closer and pulls a phone out of his back pocket. Andy's phone. As he does he looks particularly at it because it's buzzing. His smile fades.

"Hey." Andy breathes out when he's close enough. He hands her the phone. "Thanks for-" She stops when she sees who's calling her. It's Sam.

Nick nods a your welcome and turns around to meet Dov in the squad.

"Nick." Andy tries to plead before she answers the call.

Nick does turn around but since he sees her on the phone he doesn't respond and keeps walking.

"What do you want?" Andy annoyingly says into the phone.

She blames Luke for putting her in this mood.

"Have you left the station yet?" Sam's tone is urgent.

He doesn't give her time to interpret his question enough for her to answer.

"Turn around I'll meet you inside." Sam says as if he heard an answer.

Andy fumbles. "I'm in the park-"

"I'm twenty minutes out." He tells her.

"Sam-" He hangs up on her.

What just happened? Andy's mind races.

She jumps to the conclusion that is has to do with last night. She rubs her forehead in exasperation and turns to walk back inside the station to wait for Sam, but not in his office. Luke is still there. She doesn't know if Sam knows Luke is back at 15 or not. She makes it one step before she realizes what she forgot. She sighs and turns around to get Chloe. How is she going to explain this to her?

Chloe got out of the car once Andy turned around. "Hey what's going on? Froink wants us at the traffic stop with-."

Andy rubs her neck. "Uh. Just." She motions for Chloe to follow her. "Just follow me for a second."

"What's going on?" Chloe follows Andy back to the door of the Division. "Are you alright? Do you have girl cramps-"

"Chloe." Andy interrupts with a soft laugh. She turns and puts a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I am fine."

She turns to walk toward the detectives office to sit Chloe down but Frank is blocking her way. He's standing in the middle of the hall talking. Andy remembers now that he specifically asked her to man the traffic stop.

Chloe understands how they can't be seen by their staff sergeant. "He sees us." She whispers nonchalantly into Andy's side.

Andy's about to dodge Frank by walking down the other hall but he spots them.

"He's coming." Chloe says to the wall.

"Crap." Andy tugs Chloe back out the door.

"So where are we going now?" Chloe asks. "Is it about who you were on the phone with?"

They make it outside and Andy pulls out her phone, happy Nick remembered to give it back. She motions for Chloe to get in the squad.

"Hey." Andy gets in the drivers seat. "I can't be at the station. Frank needs me at the traffic stop."

She hears him sigh.

Andy pulls out of the parking lot just in time because Frank steps outside to survey the area.

"You've got a partner on your back too, right?" Sam asks exasperated. "Please tell me it's not-"

"It's Price." Andy cuts him off. She doesn't want to hear his condescending tone on Nick. She got a good enough preview of it last night.

Sam doesn't respond.

So she brushes it off. Whatever they've got going on they can handle it with a rookie. "Sam. What's going on?"

Chloe's eyes go big at the detectives name.

"Alright." Sam breathes. "Meet me in the alley we went to last night."

"Right okay." Andy says sympathetic now. "Are you okay-"

"I gotta go." Sam hangs up after that.

Andy's at a stop light so she watches her phone for him to end the call. He does so after another three seconds. Andy sighs again and drives forward on the green light.

"Where are we going now?" Chloe turns more interested.

Andy scratches the back of her head. "Uh." She can't really confess that they are headed to the hidden alley she and Sam meet an unfiled informant in during an unusual hour while not being on duty. "An alley downtown."

"Ooh a super secret one?!" Chloe jumps in her seat.

Andy chuckles.

"Alright." Chloe can tell she won't answer. "Want to tell me now what's going on though?" She is beyond excited she doing some exciting work for once.

Andy mumbles before she speaks coherently. "Sam's working a certain case. He needs our help."

Chloe holds in a smile. "Our help?." She smiles deviously. "I'm pretty sure he wants some McNally all to himself."

"Yeah, but I'm not on desk today." If she were on desk it would be easier for her to get out to meet Sam. It's just more of a hassle to be partnered. But luckily she's got Chloe today.

Andy responds to fast though. She immediately shakes her head at her awkward comment.

Chloe laughs.

Andy looks over at the rookie. "No. I didn't mean it like- I don't-"

Chloe holds up her hands. "I get it. I get it. I know you two had your thing in the past." She holds up her hands in defense. "And that you're both with different people now."

"No, Chloe-" Andy stops herself.

"You may not be dating Nick, okay. But it sure looks like you guys are... together."

"Wait. Really?" Andy's mind speeds.

"Wait! So who's taking our spot on the traffic stop now?" Chloe asks the important question.

Andy verts back. She drums her hands on the wheel a moment. The only name popping up in her mind is Nick. He's the only person who would cover for her. But she still doesn't know the status of their relationship. She though they were squared away, but he sort of ditched her this morning.

"Can you call Dov?" Andy asks.

Chloe raises an eyebrow. "Don't you want to talk to Nick?"

Andy pulls into the alley and spots Sam's detective car across the way. "Chloe."

"Okay. I got you." Chloe pulls out her phone and dials Dov.

Andy parks the head of her car ten feet away from the head of Sam's. She leaves Chloe in the squad and meets Sam. He's sitting in his driver seat with the driver door open. She crosses over and places her hand on the top of the door. "Hey, good morning-"

"Morning McNally." Sam steps out.

He stands up and is right in front of her. The second he greets her back she understands the reason she is cold to Luke.

"McNally." Sam repeats.

"Right." Andy steps back so Sam can move and shut the door.

"You're here with Price too, I see." Sam points out. "Is she handling your-"

"Yeah we got someone to cover us." She breathes out in hopes he doesn't ask who.

Sam eyes her for a moment and sees she cringes at getting out that sentence.

"Thanks for the heads up."

He sighs again and leans against his detective car. He could go back and forth with her but he cuts the crap and gets out with it. "I tried to meet with Frederick this morning."

"Okay?" Andy crosses her arms. She takes in that he clearly wants to pursue this case by himself, or even just without her. She doesn't want to feel hurt, but she definitely planned on talking the case out with him. She pretends to dramatically sniff the air.

"He wouldn't tell me anything." Sam confesses before she says anything rash.

Andy scoffs. "I could've told you that."

Sam tries to not roll his eyes.

Frederick only liked opening up to her. Andy interrupts now that Sam wants her, more so, needs her to be his partner on this. But now here is Sam, asking Andy to help him out on this without actually helping.

"I see." Andy surveys.

They stand in silence a moment. Sam motions to her with his eyes.

Andy breaks. "Sam. That was a one time thing."

Sam opens his mouth to speak.

"I cannot impersonate a detective again." She says sternly.

"He saw you as a detective." He fights.

"No." She crosses her arms.

"McNally. I'll be with you." Sam tries to soften her up. "We're in this together."

She glares him down for a moment.

"Okay. Well." Andy scratches between her eyebrows. She starts to ramble. "So where is he right now? Can you call a meet again?"

Sam starts to speak but she cuts him off.

"Why do you even need to see him?"

Sam looks down and sighs. "Elliot Prescott isn't real."

"What? How?" Andy's shocked.

"Either Fred lied to us, or Prescott is lying to Fred about his real identity." Sam says. "I looked up Prescott in the system this morning and I've got nothing on him."

"Maybe he just hasn't been recorded." Andy states.

Sam doesn't respond.

"And what would talking to Frederick accomplish?" Andy asks again.

Sam squints. "Maybe to figure this out? So I can catch those illegal guns."

Andy nods. "Good enough reason."

Sam nods in agreement.

"Okay, here we go." Andy rubs her neck.

"What?" Sam turns around.

Chloe comes up behind Sam. "Hey team McSwarek! What's our mission?"

Sam drags his eyes back to Andy. Her eyes stay on him.

Sam looks back at Chloe. "We're meeting an informant." He debates a moment. "Are we?" He looks back at Andy.

Chloe raises an eyebrow and looks at Andy as well.

Andy eyes Chloe. She doesn't want to be this kind of cop in front of a fresh rookie. She glances back at Sam and he gives her the look of motivation.

"Yes. We are." She confesses.

"Good." Sam nods at her. "Okay McNally. You're with me... Price can handle following us in the squad?"

"Wait? I'm driving? Why?" Chloe steps up. "Really?"

Andy rubs her head. "The less you ask..."

Chloe raises her eyebrows again and slowly lowers them and as she somewhat understands.

"You got this Price." Andy places the keys in her hands.

"Can you handle it?" Sam wants confirmation.

Chloe nods in agreement and walks off toward the squad.

Once she's a safe distance away again Andy speaks.

"Sam I can't go to the station to change." Andy turns to Sam and he's walking towards his trunk. She follows. "What?"

"It's funny how things work out." Sam states.

The trunk reveals Andy's bag from the other night. She gives a soft laugh.

"You uh, got clothes in here right?" Sam says smoothly.

Andy nods and grabs her bag that she somehow completely forgot about. "Yeah." She didn't forget about the fight that came along with it.

"I wanted to meet at the station to give it to you, but you know, I-"

"Brought it with you in case of my not being able to listen to you." Andy mutters and grabs her bag out of the trunk. But the trunk open, Chloe can't see them.

She doesn't want to say anything more to him.

"Alright." He nods. "I'm going to go try and explain things to little Price." He says over his shoulder.

"Hey she's not little." Andy says as they both look over to her trying to swat a fly away. "Um-"

"Yeah." Sam concludes and walks over to Chloe.

Andy and Sam are like Chloe's parents for the day.

Andy takes off her vest first before she hops in the back seat.

Chloe sees Andy. "Hey, why's she-"

Sam cuts her off and turns her body away from Andy changing in the back seat of his car. "Price. McNally and I just have to meet an informant and well he likes McNally more-"

"Ha. Of course they do." She stops at Sam's look. "Okay. Carry on."

Sam continues to inform her on some things she already knows and tries to leave out confidential information on Frederick as much as he can. But damn does Price ask questions like a McNally. He eyes Andy behind Price's head to see her unbuttoning her shirt and replace her black t shirt with a different one. He shakes his head to shake those thoughts away again.

Andy opens the door and lets her legs out the side to put her ankle boots on. She zips them up and adjusts the hem of her navy blue long sleeved fitted v neck. She lifts up her back skinny jeans up again and looks up to see Sam just looking away. She rolls her eyes.

Sam concludes with Chloe when Andy gets out. He walks over to Andy who's putting on her holster and clipping on her badge. "I don't like this."

"It's an easy story to understand." Sam tells for himself.

She glares at him. He rubs his neck.

"If we happen to have to explain it." He confesses.

Andy rolls her eyes again and mindlessly struts to the passenger side of the detective car, avoiding Chloe's looks.

"Hey I did tell you to stay in the car." Sam says once they're both seating the car. He starts the engine and backs up. he did tell Andy to wait in the car last night.

"Then you would have never gotten him to talk to you in the first place." Andy says in a satisfied tone.

"Uh." Sam stutters.

"Um, thank you Andy." She tells him. "You are welcome detective."

Sam pulls onto the busy city street.

"Hopefully he didn't leave town yet." Sam says to himself.

"Who would pass me up?" Andy averts her eyes to Sam's gaped mouth. She looks behind them. "Where's Chloe going?"

Chloe turns in the other direction.

"I've got her staking out on the other side of the river. She'll be fine as long as she stays off her radio." Sam tells her. They can't really approach Frederick with a police car spooking him.

Andy nods. Her phone starts buzzing in the cup holder. She picks it up calmly but her grip on it tightens. Nick's name is displayed.

Sam doesn't want to intrude and ask her. But since he cares and she seems like she's been needing something lately. "Who is it?"

She looks over at him and answers honestly. "It's Nick."

Sam tries to ease her mind. "You don't have to answer it. Just let it ring." He tells her calmly.

Her chest softens at his words. Her minds relaxes. Her body is comforted. "Okay." She whispers and closes her eyes, she lets it ring until it ends. "He's going to call two more times." Andy informs him.

Sam's grip tightens on the wheel. "You can put it on silent." He says even calmer than before.

Why didn't I think of that? Andy nods again and swiftly closes her eyes as she puts it on silent and puts it back in the cup holder. Sam looks her over and she seems to be peacefully resting now. Sam starts to drive in the destination on the outskirts of town. It's a bit of a long drive. He listens and a soft sleeping breath escapes her mouth.

He breathes out silently before he moves next. He reaches his hand over, he planned on hovering just a moment, but as soon as he gets close enough, he takes her hand in his. Her hand silently lets his encircle hers. This wakes Andy up though, Sam's touch. Not enough for her to open her eyes though.

"I'm so tired Sam." She confesses in a soft, defeated tone.

Sam doesn't struggle to respond. "I know." He says confidently. He knows her restlessness is more than being tired from a lack of sleep.

After thirty minutes they reach the meeting point.

He parks the car in an open parking lot under a large bridge. He spots Chloe on the other side of the river, hidden.

Sam quickly radios her. "You good Price?"

"All good here." She answers fast.

He doesn't take his eyes off Andy's resting form.

"Don't answer any calls. Wait for mine." Sam says, hoping not to wake Andy.

"Copy." Chloe responds.

Sam clicks the microphone back, his eyes still stuck on Andy.

She opens her eyes enough to see what's in front of her. "There he is." She says just as she did last night.

Sam looks away from Andy to the sight in front of them. "And he's got company too."

Neither of them make the first move to let go of their hands.

Andy delays with questions. "What do we need to know?"

He doesn't take his eyes off the two men flanking Frederick. "We just need to get him to talk about Prescott more, see what he knows and try to use that to go off on more information. Otherwise if he doesn't then we'll know he's just playing with us."

"Okay." She responds softly. "Lets do this." She lets go of his hand first and opens her door.

Sam speeds up to walk ahead of her. He and Andy share a look as they approach the men.

Andy opens her mouth to greet him like she did last night to soften him up.

"Did you get him? Did you lock up EP?!" Fred asks urgently before she can speak.

Sam and Andy share a confused look.

"Why would we need to do that?" Andy eyes the men behind Frederick and sees Sam bring his hand onto his gun.

Frederick starts to look like he's on the verge of crying. "I knew it." He lifts up both his hands to motion to the men behind him. They instantly pull guns out of their back pockets. They quickly lift them and aim them straight at Sam and Andy.

Cliffhanger! Please don't say they're being reckless or something, I know some of you will think that just because I left things here. Just wait for the next chapter!

Leave a review and tell me how you like how this is going? Where you'd like to see it? LUKE CALLAGHAN! Who didn't expect that one? It's actually not that big of a surprise but ah I love him! I also phase from all Nick chapter to all Sam ones, you know, can you tell? I'll try doing one with both of them. Right? What would you like to see there? I mean now we now that Sam needs to have a conversation with Andy as well as Nick. How will that go down?

I know that I've gotten caught up in this case, and like I've slide down the slope of McSwarek copping out together. Like this was not my intention. I planned on a different relationship between these two. I just think it's been a while since I've started this story and my views/thoughts have changed. *cough cough* This super long hiatus. Plus 4.13 has really effected me. I'm trying to listen to my old music I listened too back then and it's helping me out, it is. So I can say if not next chapter, then the chapter after that you'll see me jump back up that slippery slope in a sense. Or not. I'm not sure, but I want to try! I also plan uploading my last two chapters for Have A Good Shift as well before the season starts, so don't forget to review me on that as well for suggestions!

72 MORE DAYS FANDOM! 72 MORE DAYS UNTIL ROOKIE BLUE RETURNS! HOW ELSE IS EXCITED BEYOND ANYTHING?