A/N: So apparently I wrote this years ago as the ending for this and then never posted it...or it got lost along the way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The door clicked behind her and Andy let out a huge breath of air. That had been intense. She took another moment to collect her self in the empty hallway. When her head had cleared she looked up. Through the window down the hall she could see that it was still snowing and that the sun had started to go down.

'What a strange and long day,' she thought.

She was a little surprised when after a moment no one came out of the observation room to meet her. That was a little strange. Maybe they had all left…yeah right. Perhaps, they were just discussing what to do next. Perhaps.

Andy groaned. She really didn't want to go in there. What she wanted to do was go home, but first she had to find her ride. Actually, first she had to find out if Sam was still talking to her. As she had talked to Brennan she hadn't worried at all about Sam's reaction. Now though, she was terrified about what he would think.

As she walked over to the door, she steeled her courage. In her head, she could hear Sam's voice from the night before, 'they're your friends' 'they understand'. Let's hope so. But really, let's hope he understands.

The door creaked a little, but opened easily. What she saw when it opened was the strangest tableau ever. The room was half lit, which was common when an interview was happening. What was unusual was the fact that the small room was completely packed with people.

Beside the door, Noelle and Oliver stood as they often did in parade. Behind them Dov was leaning against the back wall with Chris at ease beside him. Jerry was sitting in the one chair with Tracie leaning on the table beside him, one hand on resting on his shoulder. Gail had sat her self atop a small filing cabinet in the corner, her back mostly to Andy. At far right, Luke stood leaning forward, hands resting on the two-way glass and completely facing away from everyone else. Finally, there was Sam at the centre resting on the edge of the table. In front of him was a clear view of the interview where Brennan still sat waiting.

As she walked in and let the door close almost everyone looked up to look at her. Andy felt like the walls were closing in again. The room was even quieter then the one she had come from and as usual Andy felt the urge to fill it with noise. But she resisted.

The only ones that didn't look her way as she entered were Luke and Sam. Both continued to stare at Brennan through the glass. Both with expressions that were nearly impossible to read.

Jerry broke the silence, rising from the chair and walking toward Andy. "Good. Good, McNally," his speech was halted and so were his movements as he patted her shoulder. "No problem, getting him to talk now…no problem… Maybe tomorrow though…" Trailing off, Jerry left the room to arrange for Brennan to be moved back to a holding cell for the night.

"I guess," was Andy's weak response, but Jerry didn't hear her. This was decidedly awkward and still Sam hadn't looked up.

"He just wanted to know…" Andy trailed off this time, unclear of where she had been heading.

"No. It was good," Shaw said from beside her, "you did well. You just kinda…you know…"

"Yeah, it was a…" Chris started.

Dov piped up next, "Roller-coaster. Real, white knuckler!"

Andy was starting to understand that the general vibe of the room was shock.

Sam and Luke continued staring as in the next room an officer entered and took Brennan back to his cell. Finally, when the door closed again on an empty room, Luke moved. Andy watched as he shook off his stillness and turned for the door without words. He brushed against Andy's shoulder as he passed. Then was gone. Andy didn't care. Maybe she should have, but she didn't.

Her attention was still on the centre of the room, where Sam continued to look into the adjoining room. At empty chairs. Andy was starting to worry. In earnest now.

She could feel them watching her. It was all well meaning, but at the same time oppressive. The room was closing in and she could feel the hot tears at the corner of her eyes again.

It was Traci who took action. As she crossed the room to hug Andy spoke, "What a couple of days! Whew, crazy."

Andy felt like a child as Traci rubbed her back to comfort her. She didn't care though, the repetitive motion felt good and was extremely calming. After a moment, Andy felt strong enough to collect her self again.

Another deep breathe forced in and the room wasn't spinning again. If breathing was supposed to be automatic, Andy felt like her body had temporarily forgotten. One more breathe and Andy thought she had enough air for one word. But before she could force it out, Gail spoke from the other side of the room.

"You know I was there. If you'd kissed him, I would have reported you the next day," Her tone was matter of fact, but a little bit far off, like she'd been thinking it over for a while.

Andy had no response to that. But suddenly the spell was broken. The quiet and stillness broke and everyone began to behave like it was a regular day.

Noelle was first, turning for the door, "Well, hindsight's twenty-twenty, Andy. Don't sweat it, now."

As she walked by Andy she rubbed her shoulder. On her heels was Ollie, who said something as he passed, but Andy didn't hear him over Dov, who was bickering with Gail about what she'd said.

"…a real bitch back then." Dov ended.

"Dov, that's mean…" Chris complained.

"No, no. He's right. I was. Cold-blooded, too."

After a few more sentences the three of them were gone. Traci caught the door before it could close and after a quick squeeze of Andy's shoulder she exited, too.

Now, Sam and her were alone. The room that had felt oppressive and crowded seconds ago, now felt huge and lonely to Andy.

"Sam…"Andy squeaked out, "I'm sorry…"

The room and the people had faded as he considered the things she had said on the other side of the glass. A part of him knew the interview had ended, but it wasn't until he heard her voice that he snapped back to the moment.

"Wha…," Sam started, but when he looked up the room was empty except for Andy, who was standing by the door in tears.

'Shit,' he thought. Still, he paused and took her in. Beautiful Andy, smart, talented and so compassionate she could literally empathize with a murderer. And yet he wondered… should he have kissed her that night?

Thinking it over once more, he came to the same answer. He didn't think it would have made a difference. They would have screwed it up somehow…

He shook it off. Then was then, this is now. He knew what to do now. Sam pushed himself off the table top. He crossed the room to where she was standing and hugged her. He hugged his Andy so tightly that he would be surprised if she could breathe.

After a minute she had stopped crying completely. Instead she had wrapped her arms around him in return and was squeezing tightly.

When he finally felt her pulling away from his body it seemed like a long time had passed. He let her body slip away reluctantly and watched as she wiped the dried tears off her face. He could tell she was about to say something, but Sam decided not to give her the chance.

He kissed her instead, and as it slowly deepened another few moments slipped by. Finally, Sam eased up until they were standing side by side again. This time it was him who began.

"I wasn't angry," he said, "I was just thinking. It all seemed very different when you said it like that. It was like you were telling someone else's story."

"I know," she said.

He waited for her to continue. He knew her and there was more. She didn't disappoint.

"I was saying the words, remembering all the things that have happened, but it all seemed very unfamiliar," Andy paused and looked up at him.

"Yes."

"You're sure you're not angry? Because I really am sorr…"

"No, Andy," he cut her off, "No apologies."

"Okay," she said quietly and making one of her faces.

"Let's go home. I'll cook something," Sam was ready to move on. He reached behind her and opened the door so she could walk out.

"I don't have a home remember."

He couldn't help, but laugh. When she looked up, Sam could see that she was smiling, too.

"It's a good thing that I do then," he quipped.

He was glad when she took his words lightly and responded by saying, "I'm not moving in with you Sam."

"Who was asking?" he answered.

A few minutes later they had collected their things and this time they escaped the building without incident. By the time they had made it to the truck and had managed to have another snowball fight in the parking lot, Sam and Andy had both decided it didn't matter what had happened before that moment. It was their story, bad or good. Now all that matter was what they decided would happen next.