Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed or added this to their story alerts or favourites. It makes sitting here writing this at 2am, knowing I have to get up at 6am, all worthwhile!

Disclaimer: Rookie Blue is not mine, worse luck

Sam stood by the window, scanning the empty street below. Where the hell was Andy? It was 35 minutes since he'd called her; how long did it take to get a cab over from the Penny? It was only about 20 minutes away, what was the hold-up?

He smiled at the recollection of their conversation. She'd answered the phone on the fifth ring; he was expecting it to go to voice mail and knew he wouldn't leave a message if it did. She sounded slightly breathless and there was a lot of noise in the background – she had to be in the Penny. Her hello sounded slightly tentative; his caller ID was blocked.

"Hey, it's me," he'd said.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you."

He raised his voice. "Hi, Candace. This is JD."

"What?" Then, "Oh! JD? Really?"

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Really. What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, hanging out in a bar. As I seem to do a lot."

"Not playing pool with your stripper buddy Doreen?"

"Uh, no. Not."

"Good." He paused. "Umm, well if you're not busy, do you wanna come over?"

"Really?" She was grinning, he could tell.

"Really."

"I'm leaving now."

So where was she? He'd done it, he'd seized the day, and now he was impatient to seize her the minute she walked in the door.

He turned around and looked at the room. It was immaculate; nothing left to tidy up. He wished he had some candles or some flowers, something to make it look a bit more romantic.

He had a sudden brainwave and quickly went around the apartment switching off all the lights except the lamps on the nightstands. That was an improvement, especially as the glow from the fire gave the room a better… what was the word, ambience?

He checked for about the 10th time that the camera and the wire were turned off, then returned to the window to survey the street again. So where was… ahh. There was a figure crossing the road towards his building, head down, hands jammed in coat pockets. Clever girl, she'd got the cab to drop her off down the block and walked from there.

He crossed the room in what felt like two heartbeats and made it down the stairs just as she knocked. When he opened the door she was standing there smiling, and his heart flipped over.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied, pulling off her hat.

In one fluid movement he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her inside and shutting the door behind her. He pushed her against the block wall, cupped her face in his hands and his lips found hers.

When they'd got together a week ago their first kiss had been tentative and cautious. Now there was no holding back. She kissed him hungrily and ground her hips against his. Then she slid her arms down his back and grabbed his butt, pulling him even closer. He wasn't quite sure how they made it up the stairs with their bodies locked together, but before he knew it they were in the apartment and Andy was somehow shrugging off her coat while keeping her mouth on his. She pulled back to mutter, "so hot," and he grinned.

"Thanks, you're pretty hot yourself."

She laughed. "No Mr Modest, I meant it's hot in here."

"Only one thing for that," he said, bending down to nuzzle her neck. "Get your clothes off."

"I'm trying," Andy said, and suddenly she leaned forward. He realised she was unzipping her boots, and he watched, trying to catch his breath, as she nimbly slid them off and dropped them in a heap at the top of the stairs. Then he took her head between his hands and raised her face back up to him. "I've missed you so much," he mumbled, and kissed her as if his life depended upon it.

Her hands were on his t-shirt, tugging it upwards, so he helped out by whipping it off over his head. They pulled on each other's clothing as they made their way across the floor, past the fire towards the bed, snatching kisses as they went. He stripped off her cardigan and flung it to one side, then reached for the top button on her jeans. She was already fumbling with the buttons on his jeans, her fingers brushing against his erection. He groaned and yanked his jeans down himself, desperate to get them off as quickly as possible. She unzipped hers and began sliding them over her thighs. He lifted his gaze away from the lower half of her stunning body and his eyes locked with hers. She was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time, her deep brown eyes full of undisguised lust. He watched, mesmerised, as she stepped out of her jeans and then deftly pulled off her tank top, so that she was stood before him in just her bra and panties.

"You are so beautiful," he said, his voice hoarse. She smiled and walked towards him and then suddenly she stumbled. He realised she'd tripped over her jeans and he put his hands out to grab her, but she was falling forward into him now, and he couldn't stop the momentum. He went flying too, onto his back, and Andy landed on top of him.

"Oww," he winced. "What, are you trying to make a habit of bringing me crashing down?"

"Oh Sam, I'm so sorry," she said, looking down at him, worried. "Are you alright? Can I do anything?"

"Yeah, help take my mind off the pain in my back."

"Does this help?" She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Mmmm. Kinda. Need more distraction."

"What about this?"

She trailed her lips down his neck and across his chest, her feather-light kisses making the hairs all over his body stand on end.

"That's good," he murmured, his hand burrowing into her hair.

"And this?" As she kissed one nipple, she slid her hand down across the taut muscles of his stomach until she reached the elastic of his boxers. She hesitated for a moment then pushed her hand under the fabric.

"Oh, Andy," he groaned.

In the frenzy that followed he had no idea how they managed to shed their underwear but suddenly they were naked and she was straddling him, right then and there on the rug on the floor, and he was ignoring the fact that the rug was scratchy and the floorboards were hard because as she moved on top of him all he could think was they were right where they were meant to be, and God, it felt so good.

Afterwards, they lay next to one another on the rug, still panting slightly.

"How's the back pain?" she asked, turning her head towards him.

"What back pain?" He flashed his dimples at her.

She punched him playfully on the arm. "I can't believe we didn't even make it to the bed," she laughed.

"I can. I'm surprised we made it up the stairs."

She wriggled slightly. "I don't know about this rug, it's very scratchy."

"True." He reached for his boxers and pulled them on, then stood up and dragged the duvet off the bed. He spread it on the floor, and watched appreciatively as she scooted over, still naked, to lie on it. She looked up at him as his eyes followed her and grinned, "Thanks, pervert." She reached up to grab the sheet off the bed, and draped it over herself.

"Just admiring the scenery," he smiled. He continued to watch as she raised one long leg after another and rested them on the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"It's comfortable," she said.

"Lying on the floor is not comfortable."

"It's like camping, only inside."

"Well you know how I feel about camping." He walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on. "So I take it you were at the Penny?"

"Yep. Karaoke night. Hey, you should have heard Peck sing. She's got a great voice."

"Really?" He bent his head under the stream of water and gulped down a large mouthful. "Who'd have thought?"

"She and Traci did a duet, Let's Get It On. They were so good."

"Almost makes me wish I was there." He swallowed another mouthful.

"Yeah? What would you sing?"

He turned the faucet off and wiped his face with his hand. "Stuck In The Middle With You."

"Stuck In The Middle… see, that's nice."

"No, no, Love The One You're With." He knelt down on the duvet and leaned over her.

"How about All By Myself?"

"But I'm not." He lowered his face until it was just above hers.

"You will be," she giggled as his lips touched hers.

"Thanks." He rolled over and lay down, his head alongside hers.

"No, I'm kidding, I wouldn't sing."

"Of course you wouldn't, you're too cool."

"Hey, I do a lot of things. I cook, I clean, I'm good with tools, I'm an excellent driver…"

Andy sighed. "You ever wish we were normal?"

"What do you mean? We are normal." Weren't they?

"You know what I mean."

Oh. OK. He cleared his throat. "Andy, if I could ask you to stay I would."

She turned to look at him. "Then ask me to stay."

He turned to face her.

"Just one night." Her voice was soft. "You know, I'll go home in the morning. Besides, it's freezing outside."

"Well, it's cold."

"It's practically inhuman to make me go out there." She was teasing now.

He sighed. He'd like nothing more than having her here with him all night. The thought of waking up with her in his bed was so appealing. But it was a huge risk, letting her stay. The fact she was here at all was unbelievably stupid and possibly dangerous. But if she left first thing in the morning…

He rolled over onto his hands and knees and leaned right over her until their noses were almost touching, albeit upside down.

He could be making an even bigger mistake, but what the hell. It was going to be so hard to let her go.

"Stay," he whispered.

"OK." She was smiling when his mouth found hers. They kissed, upside down, for a very long moment, and then he lay down again.

"What shift are you on tomorrow?"

"I've got the day off – I'm going to the bank to sort out my mortgage. What about you, you working?"

"Nah. Day off."

"I wish I could stay here all day."

"Me too. But Andy…"

"I know Sam, I know."

They lay in silence for a moment, their faces turned to each other.

Then he sat up. "Andy?"

"Uh huh?"

"This floor is killing me. Let's go to bed."

She smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

This time their lovemaking was exquisitely slow and gentle. He spent a long time exploring her whole body, licking, stroking and fondling her until she grasped him, and whispered, "Please, Sam, please," her voice croaky with desire.

Afterwards he felt tiredness settle on him but he wanted to stay awake; didn't want to waste a single moment of the precious time they had together. He reached for her hand under the covers and threaded his fingers through hers. Then he brought their entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed each of her fingers in turn. Her eyes met his and he could see the wonder in them. It surprised him too, the incredible tenderness she brought out in him. He had never been like this with anyone before.

"Andy?"

"Mmm?"

"Can I just ask... when did you know? How you felt about me?" He'd been wanting an answer to this for a very long time.

She rolled over on to her side, facing him. Their hands were still clasped together; his thumb stroking hers.

"A long time ago," she said, her voice serious. "I suppose… I guess I was kinda attracted to you straight away, that day in the alley, even with your gelled hair and bad clothes. But then it was hard to like you much when you were shouting at me for blowing your cover."

"Sorry 'bout that."

"You're forgiven. And then… well, it just kind of built up over time and I tried to ignore it because you were my training officer, and I was with Luke, but it got to the stage where I just couldn't ignore it any longer."

"The night of the blackout, right?"

"Yep. It was when you came in the locker room and sat with me. You were so concerned about me, so thoughtful… everything Luke wasn't… and the way you looked at me. Right inside me, it felt. When you left it felt like you took a big chunk of my heart with you."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You already had all of mine."

She raised her free hand and ran it across his jaw, feeling his rough stubble under her fingertips. "When did it happen for you?"

"Oh, right from the start. Pretty much from the moment you tackled me and tried to kiss me."

"How many times do I have to tell you, I did not try…"

"Ha, that never fails to get you!" He kissed her nose this time, then her forehead again.

"So you knew straight away?"

"Uh huh. And I tried to ignore it too. But even as early on as that night in the parking lot, when you were worried about what might happen to Emily, I just felt… it felt right with you. I would have kissed you then and there. Hell, I would have taken you home for the night. I wasn't expecting it but you have that effect on me, Andy."

She smiled at that, then looked serious. "But you never said anything. All those months when we were riding around in the squad car together and you kept quiet." Her voice was tinged with what sounded like regret.

"Actually I did tell you how I felt once. And in front of someone else. Didn't get me anywhere though."

"Really? I don't remember. When?"

"The day you got shot. At the concert. I just came right out with it but you ignored me."

"No I didn't. Did I?"

"Yes. Remember?"

He and Oliver had just driven over from the barn to help out at the free concert that was expected to get out of hand. He'd spotted her in the crowd – he had a knack for doing that – and turned on the siren briefly to get her attention. Then he'd mouthed off at a couple of punks who brushed up against the squad car and she had pulled him up for it.

"What, are you practising your bad cop routine for Guns and Gangs?" she'd asked.

"I haven't decided yet."

"What's holding you back?"

The last thing he'd intended was to tell her was the truth, but he'd been thinking about nothing else lately and somehow the words just spilled out.

"You. Love working with you, McNally. Can't imagine my life without you in it."

Damn. Had he really just told her that?

"Hey, you get to wear all that hair gel again." She grinned at him. She thought he was being sarcastic.

She turned around to answer her radio and walked off. He called out, "See you later," but she didn't hear. She was gone.

It wasn't until he went to drive off that he realised Oliver had been listening to the whole exchange.

"Whoa, Sam. What was that about?"

He hesitated for a moment. Maybe it was time to tell Oliver the truth, that he really was contemplating turning down a spot in Guns and Gangs because he couldn't bear to be away from McNally. He suspected Oliver had guessed his feelings for his former rookie anyway; the guy had been dropping some serious hints about him needing to talk to her.

But even Oliver would struggle to understand that Sam Swarek – the very Sam Swarek who thrived on undercover work and was itching to get back to it after his last op had ended so badly – no longer wanted to do it because he was hung up on the woman who'd blown his cover last time.

Oliver was a good friend but still, Sam didn't share his feelings that easily with anyone, especially not when it came to how he felt about McNally.

"I was joking Oliver. McNally got it."

Yeah, she obviously thought he was just one big joke. Hilarious.

"I do remember that. I thought you were being a smartass."

"Nope. Plenty of other times I was being a smartass, but that wasn't one of them."

"So the, 'it was what it was' line… was that a smartass moment?"

"No, that was a dumbass one." He attempted a slight smile, and was pleased to see her mouth turn up in response. "That has to rank right up there as one of the most stupid things I have ever said in my entire life. I'm so sorry Andy."

She reached out to trace the line of his jaw again. "So when you said it was what it was…"

"What it was was amazing. Incredible. It's not every day you open your front door and the woman of your dreams throws herself at you."

He bent his head forward and this time kissed her on the lips, soft and slow. He would never tire of kissing her.

"I'm the woman of your dreams?" Her eyes widened.

"Uh huh." He met her gaze with his and didn't flinch.

OK, this conversation could now go either one of two ways. She could ask him to elaborate more about how she was the woman of his dreams and it could get all serious. Or she could make a joke of it and keep things light-hearted. He waited for her response.

"What kind of dreams?" she said after a moment. "Dirty ones?"

So she wasn't quite ready for the heavy stuff. That was OK. There would be plenty of time for that later.

"Well, what do you think?" he smiled, gently thrusting his hips against her to make his point. But he didn't want her to think it was only about sex, so he reached out for her and pulled her into his arms for a cuddle, dropping a light kiss on the top of her head as she snuggled into him, her head on his chest. As they lay together, their breathing synchronised, Sam wondered if he should tell her just how much it had meant to him that she had chosen to come to him the night of the blackout. On the day she had taken a life it was him that she had turned to for comfort. Not Luke, not Traci, not her dad. Him.

As disappointed as he had been that their moment of passion had come to an abrupt halt, at least it left him with the knowledge that she had wanted him, even if it was only for a few minutes. In the subsequent weeks and months, when she was wearing Luke's ring on her finger, remembering that night provided some bittersweet consolation.

When he had to sit there and listen to her going on about Luke this, and Luke that, he would shut his eyes for the briefest of moments and recall the look on her face as she stood there on his porch that night. The memory of the desire etched into her beautiful features as she pushed him into the wall had given him hope ever since, despite the fact it looked for all the world like nothing would ever happen between them.

You only look at someone like that if you truly want them, he knew that. She had wanted him once; maybe it could happen again. In the meantime, he would never give up hope. The thought that she might one day come to her senses, ditch Luke and turn up on his doorstep again kept him going, got him out of bed in the mornings.

"Andy?"

"Mmmm?" she murmured into his chest. She sounded sleepy.

"I'm glad you came to me that night."

She raised her head and looked at him through heavy eyes. "I had to. I needed you more than I've ever needed anything. I just had to… seize the day, y'know?"

He smiled at that. "I know. Carpe diem."

"Yes. Exactly."

She bent forward to kiss him again, and then rested her head back on his chest. He stroked her thick silky hair and listened to her breathing becoming slower. She was very close to drifting off, he could feel it. He could also feel her bare skin against his, from her arm slung across his chest and her stomach pressed against his hip, to her legs entwined with his. He couldn't help himself; he ran his free hand down her body, finding the place he knew would bring her fully awake at his touch.

"Sam, what are you doing?" her words thick with drowsiness.

"I'm seizing the day."

She giggled softly. "I've never heard it called that before."

"We haven't got much time together," he said, his tone suddenly serious. "I'm not wasting any of it."

"Good idea. Carpe di- oh. Oh. Oh, Sam."

Her astonished eyes fixed on his and he knew that as stupid and as dangerous it was, he'd done the right thing in getting her here, into his arms. He didn't care about any possible consequences, any trouble they might get into. All that mattered was here and now, and being together. At last.

Carpe diem.

I'm not sure if this is the end or not - I have thought about writing about their morning together and what happens in the 20 minutes after Jamie Brennan leaves (more "seizing the day", I suspect) but I've got some ideas for other stuff I'd like to explore and I think maybe I've done my dash here. Let me know what you think!