A/N: I changed the age gap to make the story more plausible. Can't have a 5 year old be best friends with a 15 year old if you want a childhood AU, can we? Also, it wasn't clear in 5x06 when exactly Jay Swarek got out of prison, so for this story I'm saying he got out when Sam was 7, was in and out, and went back when Sam lied to police when he was 15. I posted this on my tumblr, too, but wanted more feedback.

Andy: 6 years old

Sam: 9 years old

Andy watched from her bedroom window as her new neighbors moved into the house next door. She caught a glimpse of a girl earlier, but she looked much older than Andy and went straight into the house, not reappearing since they arrived an hour ago. So, she probably wasn't a good candidate for a friend.

Andy didn't have many girl friends anyways. Mostly she tried to keep up with the boys. They were better at basketball.

Speaking of, it looked like the girl had a brother. He had been pouring over a book, but as Andy looked on, a large man with a mean face tore the book from his hands. The man, who she assumed to be his father, slapped the boy on the back of the head and apparently ordered him to help with boxes, because the next second he was scurrying towards the rental moving van.

Andy sucked in a loud breath. When she let it out five seconds later, it crept over her window and fogged up the glass. Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand this family. She didn't know dads could hit their children. Her daddy would never hit her.

"Andy, honey, dinner's ready!"

She turned to answer her mother's call with one last look at the dark-haired boy. He stumbled slightly under the weight of a box, but kept up his jogging pace until he entered the house.

Later, after dinner and her bath and after her parents had said goodnight, she crept back to her window to peek out again. She could see a light on through the window right across from hers. The boy she saw earlier suddenly appeared, leaning his head against the glass to stare at the yard below.

Before long, something made him look up and their eyes met. Andy waved at him, not willing to miss an opportunity to make a friend, but for a long time he only gazed back at her. Then, slowly, he raised a hand in greeting, though he let it fall quickly.

Andy waited until he turned away, no longer able to be seen, before she went back to her bed and lay down. Tomorrow, she decided, I'll find out his name.

She'd always wanted a brother.

Andy: 7

Sam: 10

"Sam! Wait up!" Andy's bag bounced against her back as she raced to intercept him. "Let me come with you," she begged. Her puppy-dog face made a full appearance, and Sam had to turn his head to resist it.

"Not this time Andy, I'm sorry." Her face fell.

"But we're partners! We always stick together." It was a phrase they'd made up shortly after they first met. Some local boys tried to stop Andy from playing basketball with them, but Sam made them include her. What are you afraid of? Being beat by a girl? He taunted them until they gave in. Later, after their scrimmage, they were walking home when Andy softly punched his arm. Thanks, partner.

"I'll only be gone two days. You won't even miss me," he told her, nudging her shoulder with his as they continued the walk home from school.

"Yes I will," she mumbled. "What am I supposed to do without you?"

"Practice your cartwheel. It's terrible," he worked to keep a straight face, and was rewarded when Andy stopped in her tracks.

"It is not!" she protested.

He shrugged back at her. "Prove it," he dared.

And. Well. Andy McNally does not refuse a dare. She dropped her bag and stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass. Sam strolled back to where she was standing, trying to look bored. She took a few breaths and shook her hands out, then stretched her arms above her and leaned into a perfect cartwheel. As her feet swung into the air, Sam dropped his bag as well and, just as she planted her feet with a victorious look on her face, launched a tickle attack against her.

Soon they were both on the ground, laughing until their stomachs hurt and they both called for mercy. They stayed on the cool grass for a while, side by side as they watched clouds crawl through the blue sky. Finally, Sam stood with a sigh and pulled Andy up too.

"I gotta get home. He hates it when I'm late." Andy knew from observation that it was best not to aggravate Sam's father.

They collected their bags and set off once more.

"Hey, how many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh?" Andy grinned at him and answered back.

"I don't know, how many?"

"Ten-tickles."

She giggled, repeating the punch line back to herself as if she liked the way it sounded. Sam shook his head at her, hiding a smile of his own. He knew his jokes weren't funny because Sarah never laughed at them, but if they made her happy, what was the difference?

Andy: 9

Sam: 12

They were sitting in the tree that grew right in the middle between their houses, Andy swinging her feet nervously, Sam staring broodily ahead. "So…" Andy tried to speak, but her voice faltered. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"So, he's back out, huh." It wasn't a question, but she still looked over at him. A dark bruise was forming beneath his left eye. It drew her gaze, and she found she couldn't stop looking at it. Sam said nothing, as she expected.

"You can stay at my house tonight if you want." Again, he didn't respond. They both knew his father wouldn't let him.

She reached out to touch two fingers to the mark, causing Sam to turn his head towards her. His eyes held more moisture in them than usual, but they were hard, unwilling to show any emotion other than anger. Her hand fell back to lie on the branch they were sitting on.

She didn't tell him it was going to be okay. She didn't promise him it would get better. But when her hand inched over to cover his, he blew out a long breath and knew that however bad it got at home, she'd always be a house away.

"Partners." His voice was only a whisper.

"Partners," she answered.

Andy: 11

Sam: 14

"You're too old for this Andy," Sam panted as he pushed her higher and higher on the swing set.

"Pffft. No, you're too old for this. I'm not a teenager yet." She twisted her head around to look back at him and stuck her tongue out.

He huffed out a laugh. "Fine. You're too heavy for this," he amended, but continued to push.

Andy loved the swings. The higher, the better. Sometimes- if she timed it just right- when she jumped off at the highest point, she felt weightless for half a second.

With that feeling in mind, she worked her legs harder, leaning into the motion to get more momentum going. She was still all knees and elbows, her skinny body waiting for puberty to kick in, and her lack of weight made it difficult to get high enough. Just as Sam started to say "Be careful!"- sometimes Andy was too eager for her own good- she launched off the swing.

She landed hard, making Sam cringe, but sprang right back up to her feet, her eyes wide and shining and her smile huge even as her knees shook a bit from the impact still jarring through her.

This girl.

"That was awesome!"

He rolled his eyes. "You say that every time."

"Yeah but that probably was the best one ever," Andy insisted.

"Come on, the street lights just came on. You gotta get home." He did too, but didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he still had a before-dark curfew at the age of 14.

She agreed easily enough, but made Sam carry her piggy-back style most of the way home. The first time she wanted a ride, he'd almost refused, but her whines of but Sam, what's the point of a big brother if he won't give me piggy-back rides? got to him. That was when he was 9. And yeah, he had an older sister, but-

He'd never been a big brother before he met Andy.

He liked the responsibility. Felt like he was in charge of something, for once in his life.

So, yeah. Andy gets rides whenever she wants, even when boys in his class tease him for it.

Andy: 12

Sam: 15

They were walking up the block coming home from the local pool when they saw the squad cars in front of Sam's house.

Their pace slowed for a couple seconds and they exchanged looks before continuing.

"Sam Swarek?" an officer asked as they made their way up his driveway.

Sam nodded his head.

"We just need to ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay with you?" He looked to his mother, who was a few paces away, shuffling her feet and looking anywhere but at him, chewing her nails nervously.

"Yes," he answered. Andy had stopped beside him, and reached out now to hold his hand.

Partners, the gesture said.

"Do you remember what you did yesterday?" Sam didn't answer right away, but thought back over his day. It was a Saturday. He was forced to spend most of his day watching Millionaire with his pop. Eventually, he nodded.

"We believe your father may have been involved in a robbery that took place yesterday afternoon, but he says he was at home with you. Is that true?"

He opened his mouth to say "yes" but stopped himself. What would happen if I said no? They already think he's guilty. Visions of future Saturdays and Sundays and all other days without the presence of his father looming over him suddenly surfaced in his mind. We can be free of him. They'll take him away. He looked over to Andy. She held his gaze steadily, a rock in the sea of hope that was crashing into him. He tightened his grip on her hand.

She knew his father was with him all afternoon. He had complained about it to her in between water polo matches.

"You can tell us the truth, son."

He tore his eyes from hers and looked back at the officer.

"No," he stated, his voice much more solid than he expected. "He's lying. I didn't see him at all yesterday, besides breakfast."

The officer nodded and turned to his superior, said something Sam wasn't paying attention to anymore. He prayed he was convincing enough. His hand squeezed Andy's even tighter, but she didn't complain or try to let go. Just squeezed back.

end.

A/N: So I wanted to end it before the whole romance aspect would have come in, since it is a childhood AU, but let me know if you guys want more and I'll consider it.