Here's the last chapter of this story. It's shorter than the other two, but I just wanted a nice little way to wrap everything up. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting this story. Don't forget to let me know what you think and leave a review. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Chapter 3

"Ready to go?" Sam asked Andy as he walked into her hospital room. She was more than ready. Four days in the hospital was more than enough. She just wanted to get home and be in her own bed, eat non-hospital food and just go back to normal. Sam would probably mock her use of the word 'normal,' but she didn't care. That's what going home would be. Normal. No more uncomfortable hospital bed with its rough sheets. No more nurses checking on her, and waking her up, around the clock. No more constant reminders that she'd almost died. And thoughts of what had happened would become a distant memory.

Andy frowned when a nurse followed Sam into her room with a wheelchair. "I am not getting in that."

"Sorry, it's policy. You have to ride in the wheelchair down to the parking lot," the nurse said.

Sam gave her a pointed look that said she'd not only have to fight hospital policy, but also Sam, if she was going to walk out of there on her own two feet. Andy figured she could sway the nurse, but Sam, no, never going to happen. "Fine," she relented.

Sam helped her from the bed into the wheel chair and grabbed her bag, placing it on her lap. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Ready?"

"Yes, get me out of here," she said, relieved she was finally going home.

As Sam wheeled her out, Andy smiled at the nurses she had come to know in her brief hospital stay. When they got to Sam's truck, he helped her into the passenger seat and leaned across her to grab something out of the cup holder. "I have a surprise," he said, dimples flashing.

Andy grabbed the cup he held and peaked in the lid. "Sam! My favorite. I knew there was a reason I loved you." She leaned in to kiss him quickly before taking a sip of the chocolate milkshake. Sam smiled as he shut her door and made his way over to the driver's side of his truck. He chuckled, thinking about how he planned to use the milkshake to bribe Andy into doing what the nurses instructed, but she'd been more agreeable than he had expected.

When Sam and Andy arrived at her condo, he insisted on helping her walk up the stairs. Her condo was only on the second floor and she could have walked fine on her own, but Andy appreciated how helpful Sam was being.

"Go sit, relax," Sam said pointing to the couch when they entered her condo. Before Andy could respond, he disappeared down the hall toward her bedroom.

She obediently sat on the couch, stretching her legs out on the cushions in front of her. Sam quickly returned with the pillows from her bed in hand. She leaned forward as he placed them between her and the side of the couch. He grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch and laid it over Andy.

"Relax. I'll make us some lunch," he said.

"Sam, I think I can manage to make a sandwich," Andy complained.

"Nope. I'm your sexy nurse remember," he smirked. "You need to relax."

He walked into the kitchen while Andy pouted. She loved how much Sam cared about her, but she didn't need him doing every little thing for her. She was half surprised he hadn't tried carrying her up the stairs to her condo.

Andy turned on the TV while she heard Sam rustling around in the kitchen. Flipping through the channels, she quickly landed on the local news. A reporter's voice was giving the play by play as the cameras rolled on a live scene. Andy quickly realized she was watching the office building she almost died in being torn down.

"Wow, they're already tearing down the office building," she yelled into the kitchen so Sam could hear her.

"I heard they were gonna do that," he replied, knowing she was talking about the building even though he wasn't in front of the TV.

Andy listened as the reporter explained that the safest way to bring the building down was with explosives placed in strategic locations by demolition experts. How ironic, she thought. The camera broke away from the live scene briefly to replay an interview with Ray Woody's brother. Andy listened as he apologized on behalf of his family to anyone who was injured or killed by the destruction his brother caused. She absentmindedly rubbed her wound as the man continued, saying he didn't know what had come over his brother and admitted Ray had been severely distraught after losing his wife and daughter. Andy sighed. She felt sorry for Ray, but couldn't forget he was the one who had put her in the hospital.

Sam could tell Andy was deep in thought when he walked in the room with sandwiches and cans of soda. "What's got you thinking?"

"I want to hate him," she said pointing to a picture of Ray on the TV. "But I also feel sorry for him. I mean, he lost the love of his life and their only child."

"Andy, he almost got you killed," Sam said as Andy pulled her feet close to make room for him on the couch.

"I know Sam, but…well, that's why I want to hate him. But I can only imagine how I'd react if I lost you," she admitted.

Sam handed one of the plates he'd been carrying to Andy. "It's that lion's heart of yours," he said, smiling. Her compassion for others was amazing.

Andy picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, finally landing on reruns of some sitcom she'd never seen before. "Where'd all this food come from?" she asked as she looked down at the sandwich Sam had given her. She knew her fridge was nearly empty before her trip to the hospital.

"I stocked up yesterday when I ran home to take a shower. Figured you were going to need food once you got out," Sam replied.

Andy smiled. He was always thinking of her. "Thank you."

A couple hours later, Andy decided she needed to get more water to take the pain medicine she was given. She had barely swung her legs off the couch when Sam stopped her. "What do you need? Stay, I'll get it," he offered.

"No, it's okay. I just need water to take my pill," she replied and stood up.

"No. No. Sit, you need to relax," Sam said, jumping off the couch.

"Well, I need to use the bathroom too, so it's really okay," Andy said, now getting irritated.

"Here, let me help you," Sam responded as he put an arm around Andy's waist and helped her toward the bathroom. Andy fought to not roll her eyes and kept repeating to herself that Sam was just trying to help.

When Andy exited the bathroom, Sam was standing there with a bottle of water. He escorted her back to the couch and again Andy forced herself to remember that he was just taking care of her.

By the time night had fallen, Andy couldn't deal with Sam's hovering anymore. She loved him and knew he was only doing what he was doing out of his love for her, but she couldn't take it anymore. He insisted on doing everything for her. Every. Single. Thing. She needed some time alone and she wanted to rid herself of the hospital smell, so she decided on a shower.

"I think I'm gonna go take a shower and change into clothes that don't reek of the hospital," she said, slowly getting up off the couch. Although she was looking away from Sam, when he jumped off the couch behind her, she rolled her eyes.

"Here, let me help you," he said, once again threading his arm around her waist and insisting she put some of her weight on him as they walked down the hall. Andy paused when they reached the door of the bathroom.

"I could, uh, help you shower," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Andy blew out a short breath as she flipped on the bathroom light and turned around. "No."

"You loved the idea a couple weeks ago," he said smiling, hinting at the time when they were running late for work and he suggested saving time with one shower. They ended up taking a longer shower than usual and arrived at work an hour late.

"I can take a damn shower on my own," she spit out before slamming the door in his face. Two weeks ago sharing a shower was sexy. Today it added to her feelings of helplessness, of being babied. She could take a damn shower on her own. She didn't need Sam hovering.

Sam wasn't sure what had just happened. How he got a door slammed in his face when he propositioned his girlfriend. He backed away from the door slowly and when he heard the water turn on, he walked back to the living room.

By the time Andy got out of the shower and walked into the bedroom to put on her pajamas, Sam had been pacing back and forth in her living room wondering what was wrong. He padded to her bedroom and knocked softly on the closed door. "Andy?"

When she didn't answer, he opened the door slowly and peeked in. He pushed the door open fully when he saw her standing with her shirt lifted as she replaced the bandage on her stomach. "Need some help?" he asked.

"No. I'm fine."

"Andy, what's wrong?" he asked, walking over to her. "Did I do something to piss you off?"

"No, it's fine. We're fine," she said, grabbing a bottle off her dresser and lathering lotion on her arms.

Sam placed a hand on Andy's shoulder. "Don't tell me everything is fine."

"I don't need help. I can take a shower and get dressed by myself. I can stand and walk down the hall on my own. I'm not helpless, as much as everyone wants me to be," she said, sitting on the bed.

"I know you're not helpless," Sam said, sitting down next to her, his arm slipping around her waist.

"Then stop treating me like I am," she said, looking over at him.

"You just got home from the hospital. It's okay to lean on others. You don't have to do everything alone."

Andy sighed. He was just trying to be a good boyfriend, help her when she was hurt. But she hated feeling helpless. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. It's just, um, I don't deal well with this," she said, waving her hands around.

Sam pulled her close. "I get it. I really do. You've lived a lot of your life having to be on your own, but I'm here now. You don't have to go through this alone. Let me help. Let me be here for you," he said.

"It's just foreign to me, having someone who cares so much. I was abandoned in the middle of the night by my mom. My dad's been an alcoholic for most of my life. It messes you up, leaves you feeling…alone," she said sadly.

"Remember what I told you when I was your TO, about partners and not trying to do the job alone?" Sam asked.

Andy nodded. "Yeah, that partners always back each other up. No matter what, you always stand behind your partner."

"On and off the job, I'll always have your back, Andy. You're going to have to learn to live with that," he said smiling.

Andy smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, you know that," she said.

"I love you too, that's why I don't want anything to happen to you. And, if you exert yourself too much right now, you'll end up back in the hospital," he said.

Andy realized Sam's hovering was because he cared and she knew there had to be a compromise. "If I promise to not overexert myself will you promise not to overly baby me?"

"I think I can manage that," he said before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Sam, thank you. I really mean that," she pulled back so she could look him in the eye. "You've been wonderful and I've just been cranky." Andy leaned in to kiss him, as his hand rubbed up and down her back.

When they parted, she smiled. "So, if it's okay with my sexy nurse, I thought I'd watch a movie before bed."

"I think that qualifies as relaxing," Sam said, smiling back.

An hour later and only halfway through one of Andy's favorite movies, she was sound asleep in Sam's arms on the couch. He stared down at her, watching her eyelids flutter as she slept and her chest move up and down as she breathed. He thought about the antique ring hidden in a box with other important things at the back of his closet. There was a time in his life he never thought that ring would see the light of day, but things had changed. He glanced down at Andy's left hand and thought how beautiful his grandmother's ring would look on her finger. He knew they weren't there yet in their relationship, but he was confident they were it for each other. He knew she was the only one for him. It was just a matter of time before they were both ready to take that walk down the aisle.

With those thoughts on his mind, Sam carried Andy to her bedroom, placing her gently on the bed and covering her with a blanket. He pressed his lips to her forehead before allowing his face to hover over hers momentarily. "I can't wait to marry you someday," Sam whispered. He could have sworn he saw her lips curve slightly, but shook it off as she still looked sound asleep.

As he turned around and changed into his pajamas, Andy's eyes flickered open briefly as she fought back a smile. She had woken up as Sam placed her on the bed, but didn't want him to feel guilty about waking her so she had faked sleep and heard his marriage confession. It didn't scare her like she thought it would. She didn't have even the slightest urge to run. Instead, she felt this giddiness flow through her body in anticipation of the day when he would propose. She hadn't admitted it to him yet, but as she was lying in the hospital bed she thought a lot about her future. And her future included Sam, forever. She couldn't imagine life without him.

Eyes closed again, Andy felt Sam lie next to her and shifted closer to him until his chest was flush against her side and he draped an arm over her, careful to avoid her wound. With smiles on both their faces, they fell asleep.

The End