Chapter 1

Andy felt herself start to fall asleep as her eyelids drooped. Her and Robert had just shared a sweet, intimate moment after discussing the possibly of getting married and it wore her out. But though she was tired, she felt her mind racing. Had Robert actually proposed? He had said he was asking her to be his wife. But there was no ring, and they had only been together for a short time.

She smiled softly as she thought back on their time together this past year. She had hated him at first for stealing her job, changing her team, and challenging her. Slowly but surely, they began to trust each other as a team under his leadership. But she didn't truly see him for who he was, nor did he see her, until the night of the storm. He opened up to her about his wife and they shared their first near death experience.

She started feeling a pull to him that night that grew stronger day by day. She felt it when she held his hand in the helicopter, when he showed up to the party after she received her medal of valor, when he came back as captain, when she held his hand after he had talked to his dying friend, when he told her that their friendship came easy to him, and when he looked at her during his eulogy. The night of the wildfire brought light to their love for one another, and she will always hold dear the memory of their embrace underwater.

But their relationship hadn't come easy. There was still pain from the memories of the last few months. She had known that they both wanted to be together after she kissed him for the first day, and it hurt that he had sent her away. It hurt that he had ignored her for so long after that. She felt like he was embarrassed to have had feelings for her, and she had been so angry for so long that he wouldn't just admit the feelings he had for her.

As Andy had just told Robert, she knew that she was stubborn, quick to anger, and took things to personally. Hell, he knew that even without her saying so, but it felt good to tell him that she recognized her flaws and knew she had shown him all of those sides of her during the last few months. Even while he was pushing her away, she knew that he cared for her. He held her so tight the night her dad told her his cancer held back that Andy almost forgot how angry she was at him. But it hurt her too bad to have feelings for him that he could not reciprocate. That is why she pushed him away when he came to her to talk about his problems.

Finally, she could not handle the anger and pain anymore. She felt vulnerable that day going to his place, but all she wanted in the world was to be with him, so she went and let go of all the feelings that had been weighing heavy on her. When he kissed her, she felt all the negative feelings leave her body, and she truly felt like she was whole. He didn't complete her, but he helped her complete herself.

The last few weeks were pure bliss for Andy. Every day she spent with Robert, every hour, and every minute made her feel more alive than she had ever felt. It was hard keeping their relationship at home, but it gave them an opportunity to separate work and their relationship long enough to see that even without their careers, they loved each other. She knew her father would not understand at first, but she was so thankful to have had the opportunity to go to lunch with him and Robert. Her father may never get to meet his grandchildren, but at least he can see her fall in love with the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

She felt the warmth of Robert beside her, and as she was lost in thought about their relationship, she felt his arms wrap around her. "Why aren't you asleep?" Andy asked. Robert replied softly in her ear, "I can't stop thinking about marrying you." Andy turned to face him and placed a hand on his cheek. "You really are serious about wanting to marry me? Even after all the bad things I told you about myself. Even I wouldn't want to marry me." Robert laughed, "Andy, you know as well as I do that I have seen all sides of you already, and even as much as you have frustrated me by your insubordination, I still can't help but love you." Andy gently slapped him on the arm, "Hey, you know just as well as I do that that insubordination was justified." Sullivan sighed and looked her in the eyes as he said, "Andy, do you still carry all that pain?" She longed to turn around and fall asleep in that moment so she could escape the conversation that was about to ensue, but she knew that it was time.