My first fanfiction ever! Thought I'd try it, since I enjoy everyone's stories so much… I highly welcome reviews and constructive criticism.

This is based on the following scenario: Andy returns from her undercover operation, finds that Sam is with Marlo. Their relationship throughout the entire season remains tense and awkward. In general, she finds many things have changed while she was away and she isn't sure she fits in anymore. At the end, Boyd approaches Andy with another undercover opportunity and she decides to go.

Rated M for some violence and a bit of swearing - and smut in a chapters 6 and 12. Actually, it all started with some plotless smut, no idea where all of this came from...

I don't own anything, this is just for fun.

*** additional note: I've been made aware by some reviewers that it's not likely they would ever let Boyd be a handler for undercover operations again. While I do agree, I just love the Boyd / Swarek chemistry too much and I had so much fun writing this first chapter. So please bear with me, I know it's a bit inconsistent, but Boyd won't be in the picture after Chapter 1 anyway.

Chapter 1

Hearing her name in the hallway still unsettled him. But she was still working here, of course, so it couldn't be helped. Especially after she had vanished again the colleagues were talking, wondering what kind of undercover operation she was involved with this time. However, whenever Marlo or Sam approached, the conversation topic was usually changed subtly. Their weird relationship triangle was nothing anyone wanted to get involved with.

She had been gone for two months and, although he didn't admit it to others or himself, Sam's thoughts wandered to Andy quite frequently, wondering where she was and how she was doing. In his darker hours, usually lying awake in bed, he wondered if she was with anyone. But then again, since she was undercover, it was highly unlikely. At least she wasn't with Nick this time, which was a bit of a consolation. When Sam turned around in his bed, seeing the form of sleeping Marlo lying next to him, he told himself that he didn't have any right to wonder about these things anyway.

On this particular evening, when Sam heard the name McNally mentioned in an office he passed by, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks. It wasn't Andy's friends talking about her, as often, hoping she'd be back soon. The voice he heard belonged to Boyd, who most certainly was involved in her disappearance. Since he still didn't trust that man, especially not with Andy's well-being, Sam stood close to the open door, pretending to be interested in the notice board hanging next to it, eavesdropping on Boyd's phone conversation in what he hoped was a stealthy manner.

What he gathered from the one-sided conversation was that McNally had failed to check in, which she was supposed to do every day at a certain time. Boyd didn't seem too concerned and was trying to reassure the person at the other end of the line. All Sam could think of was that they'd been there before and that, last time, things could've gone terribly wrong if Andy hadn't been able to contact him. But what if things had gone south too quickly this time, not leaving her time to ask anyone for help? What if she was lying somewhere, hurt? Held at gunpoint? Tied up? Or worse…. His brain went through all of these possibilities in just a few seconds, and he decided that someone had to have her back, since Boyd apparently didn't. This time, there was also no colleague who had disappeared at the same time, so Sam had to assume she was without any immediate backup.

He entered the office, offering Boyd a fake smile. The other man hushed immediately, looking at Sam, perplexed. "Please, don't mind me. Finish your conversation, I can wait," Sam said, sitting down on a desk and looking at Boyd expectantly. "Listen, I'll have to call you back…. No, we're doing nothing for now. Just wait." He hung up the phone slowly; weary about the conversation that was going to follow. "Listen, Swarek…" But Sam interrupted him with a simple gesture, raising his hand. He was going to try to approach this with reason, at least. "Boyd, we both know what's going to happen. You're going to tell me where McNally is, and I will check up on her. The question is only, how we will get there. How much shouting this will involve and whether I have to go over your head to get the information I need. Quite frankly, this day has been way too long already, so I hope we can get this over with quickly." As if to reinforce his point, he pinched his nose in a gesture of weariness.

"And there I thought Cruz was your girlfriend," Boyd smiled at him maliciously. In his eyes, there was no use hiding the fact that they despised each other. "I realize that this might be a concept you're not familiar with, but Andy and I used to be partners and we are still friends", Sam replied with as much patience as he could muster. "And friends have each other's back, no matter what."

"Friends," Boyd snorted. "I see." He stood up from his desk chair, browsing through a few documents without paying particular attention to any of them. "You know what, I agree. It's been a really long day, I'm tired and I just don't have the energy to fight you on this. So I will tell you where McNally is." At this point, relief washed over Sam and he realized that he had been clenching his fists involuntarily, mirroring the knot his stomach had turned into.

"If you blow this operation, however, and we don't manage to put the people we are after behind bars, I will not go after you. I will go after her. I will make sure, McNally never works undercover again and I will do everything in my power to ensure she will never have any career to speak of. Since she is your very dear friend" – he used the word so it was dripping with irony – "I am sure you wouldn't want to do this to her." With a satisfied grin, Boyd leaned back in his chair and looked at Sam. "Do we have a deal?"

As much as he didn't like the man, Sam had to concede that Boyd was well-connected and had a few rather powerful friends among the white-shirts, so he didn't doubt he could deliver on his threat. He simply nodded, not trusting himself enough to keep from launching into a volley of expletives as soon as he opened his mouth. "Alright," Boyd was blatantly enjoying that he had the upper hand.

"McNally is undercover in a strip club, corner of Carlton and Church. She's been working there as a waitress, supposedly on the run, hiding from her past. That's why we had to send her in alone. The owner's name is Michael Clerk, we believe he's responsible for trafficking women. Preys on those that are desperate, usually young women whose work permits have expired, offers them a job, makes them dependent, and sells them into the sex trade. Real piece of work."

Sam nodded, listening attentively. All of this information might become very important. This guy, Michael, sounded very dangerous. "She's supposed to check in with her handler every evening before she goes to the club to her shift, around 8:30pm. She wasn't in touch today," almost as an afterthought, he added, "but I guess you knew that already, since you've apparently been eavesdropping. The woman on the phone was her handler, Rachel, who's concerned about this. I, however, seem to trust McNally's abilities far more than both you and Rachel. I picked her for this because she's a capable copper, she can think on her feet. But you don't seem to think so", Boyd was visibly enjoying this, "so please, knock yourself out and check up on your friend."

Pulling himself together to a degree he hadn't thought possible, Sam kept from punching Boyd and stood up quickly to get out of the room, before his resolve wavered. He had all the information he needed and discussing his respect for Andy's abilities with this man would lead to absolutely nothing. Well, maybe a black eye or a broken tooth. But nothing productive.