I own no part of Rookie Blue.

The trip to Sudbury is a long one and the scenery, although beautiful, is repetitious. The mood in the car had been light and playful. Our 'friends' have avoided that.. heart-to-heart talk.. With any luck, the frivolity will continue.

After the bathroom stop, Sam, being the gentleman we know him to be, did not stoop to ask if "everything came out OK?" He was tempted, but figured that comment wasn't as funny as it was sophomoric.

He had really dreaded this trip, for all the obvious reasons. She was a spectacular woman but like mashed potatoes and cream gravy to a man on a diet, if they weren't placed on the table in front of you the fact that you can't have them was not rubbed in your face.

Sam knew he never totally evicted her from his head but when she wasn't right in front of him the yearning was muted. When he was around her, well…

Today had been different. They had been able to relax around each other. It had been like the most fun date you had ever been on without a good-night kiss. Their good natured teasing had filled the car and the time. The jabs had been pointed without being sharp. Some comments had been risqué but never raw. Friends enjoying each other's company.

He had been lost in his thoughts, not aware of the passage of time or miles when his rookie spoke. "That first day we were on patrol together, your first day back in uniform, I never told you what happened in that alley did I?"

"What alley?"

"The one behind where Emily worked; where you sent me to arrest her with a fake warrant." Her voice had a sarcastic sound but the smile gave her away. "Thank you for that. Thank you very much!"

That beguiling smile, "I'm just here to serve, protect and mislead, ma'am. So what happened in the alley that you failed to share with me?" He pointed to his chest and continued, "Your faithful protector, defender, and whatever."

"The red door was locked. I tried to call you for instructions, thought better of it and stopped mid-sentence. Since you never responded, I guess I didn't have the radio turned on." A smile spread across his face but he spared her any comment and she continued her narrative.

"So, I called my dad."

"You're on patrol with me and you called your dad for help." Just a hint of annoyance had crept into his voice.

"Let's face it, Sam; I was your leading candidate for Idiot of the Year. I was trying my hardest to avoid your wrath. I figured Boyco was offering me up to you so you could exact your revenge. You had plenty of reason. I didn't want to give you any more ammunition."

He responded, "Funny, I couldn't figure why Boyco was punishing me. My cover had been blown and he was putting Prom Queen with a Gun in my car for a partner! So what did he say?"

"He?"

"Your dad."

"Oh, no! You drop a bomb and I'm just supposed to ignore it? I don't think so!"

Mr. Innocence responded with, "What are you talking about?"

"Prom Queen? with a gun? That's the way it's going to be is it?" he couldn't tell if she was serious or playing but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"I'm just telling you what I thought at the time." He spotted the twinkle in her eye just before he embarrassed himself with a profuse apology.

Since the game was on, he went in for the kill shot. "Since I've had a chance to work with you and get to know you much better I think you could be better described as..

"Sam, don't get yourself in any more trouble." She warned. She even wagged a finger at him.

He was not a complete fool but sometimes she just drove him past logical thought. With that excuse in his head he gleefully delivered… "You could better be described as 'have gun and tiara, will travel."

Wise is the woman who knows when to concede the point. Wisdom takes years to accumulate, Andy was still young. She looked at Sam, pursed her lips, shook her head and said softly, "you know what they say about payback?" she concluded with a wink and a smile.

"Can we get back to the red door and your dad?" he asked.

"I called; told him the door I was supposed to enter was locked and asked him what to do. He said I should be asking my training officer that question. I told him it was a long story but you were my TO and I couldn't ask you." Dad said, "Sam Swarek? Just bust it down. He'd like that."

"Did you bust it down, McNally?"

"I tried, nearly broke my shoulder. I used my lock picks on it."

"That's a girl!"

"Later, that same day you left me at the station. You said something about 'coloring way outside the lines' and you didn't think I was that kind of girl. You went after Anton Hill to try to get Emily back."

"I remember. Are we going someplace with this?

"It's just," she paused like she wasn't exactly sure how to say what she had on her mind, "those first few days I got the impression you were all about breaking rules but I really haven't seen it since then. It looks like you got the rep and everybody else I know are the ones really breaking the rules."

"That so?" From the expression on his face she can see she has his interest.

"Your friend, Jerry, is always pulling Traci into an interview viewing room for a little one-on-one. Dov told Traci he caught Gail and Chris making out in a patrol car in a diner parking lot a couple of weeks ago." She took a breath, saw the amused look on his face and continued. "Aside from invading the ladies locker room at will, you seem to follow the rules a lot better than your Bad Boy image would suggest."

Having set the stage for Sam to make an embarrassing admission, Andy sat back and waited for some little nugget she could wart him with. That she ever got the better of him was a testament to her developing interrogation skills; however it was naive of her to think she could stay ahead of him all the time.

He chuckled before putting a blush on Andy's cheeks. "Are you volunteering to help me live up to my image? We probably shouldn't wait until we get back to the station. We have a perfectly good back seat." He started to slow the cruiser down. "I can just pull over here; we can make ourselves comfortable in the back, do a little one-on one practice, some exploration. That way we'll be ready to entertain our co-workers when we get back to quarters."

When Sam's answer headed in this direction Andy realized she might have made a big mistake, but the more detailed Sam's response the clearer her plan became.

"Oh! What a great idea." She exclaimed with such enthusiasm Sam figured he was in trouble now. Just how bad the trouble was going to be; only time would tell.

Sam's face showed first panic and then resignation. He knew he couldn't/wouldn't touch this woman again if she was not dead serious and then he recognized it was a joke and the joke was going to be on him.

"I'll just spread out on the back seat, loosen up some of this uniform and you can explore. When that big Mountie stops to check-up on us you can explain to him how you and Brad Paisley are checking your rookie for "Ticks".

Welcome to Sudbury, population 108,300 - saved by a sign! Their work day was really beginning now. There would be company on the trip back to the station. That was a good thing. They had come dangerously close to the subject on both of their minds. The subject neither would speak of. God forbid the friends would be honest with each other! Well, maybe they have to be honest with themselves first.

If you aren't familiar with the song, check it out. It will give you some insights into the seductive strategies of the "good ole boys" from around this neck of the woods. Lots of humor!

Enjoy your reviews – thanks.