A/N: Decided I didn't want to leave them out in the cold for too long.

ALSO: I'm really not in the business of attempting to explain what or why I write with the perspective I do, but to the 'guest reviewer' who was glad Ollie/Zoe worked things out, but was dubious as to why Andy would want to take Sam back (Unfortunately I can't reply to you personally): Zoe took up with some other guy while her and Ollie were separated, so I'm not sure why you'd have an issue with a Sam/Andy reunion when you don't seem to have a problem with the other pair (who have been in a similar mess). Aside that, this fic takes place well into the season, and as far as I'm concerned (read: hope), Andy has the insight to understand and accept why Sam may have had made decisions that he has made over time even though they may have hurt her...(as he hopefully has come to terms with the decisions that she has made along the way that have hurt him). We all make choices, they're not always right. Sometimes they hurt the people we love the most. But, for me, I see love as something that endures and forgives, and is hopeful and messy, and if it is genuine it will keep being that. If you don't want Andy to take Sam back (because, I understand you will have your own experience of life as well), I strongly recommend that you don't read this because there is not a single universe in which I don't believe that Andy and Sam love one another...no matter the wonderful mess they make out of it.

(Apologies to other readers for such long-winded pre-emptive blurts that have no bearing on you, I do hope you enjoy the second part to this little show).

Disclaimers: As per chapter 1

They take the long way 'round to the exit. Andy suspects that just as she is, Sam is sensitive to the eyes that are watching them closely.

The dance floor is one thing; public view and expectations of what actually happens when two people decide to move to music together, and all that.

But going for air is different. Even Andy knows that.

She swerves her way through the tables until she finds her coat on the back of a chair. Actually, she doesn't even check that it is her coat; she just wants to keep her and Sam moving along.

She's greeted by a couple of high eyebrows by Traci as she snatches the garment. There's a waggle to them, in fact.

Traci leans back in her seat and crosses her legs, looks over Sam's way. She twists her mouth and gives him some eyebrow too...its more of a...warning...that he gets from Nash.

Andy ignores what might be going through Traci's mind. Her friend has been supportive and patient from day one regarding Andy's...thing...with Sam. Recently she's even taken to advocating for him:

("If you don't think you can move on just yet, then hang in there; just focus on you. I think that's what he's trying to do now...specially since he dumped Cruz...he'll find his way there if he wants to, and when he does, be ready. Be sure of what you want, be sure that you know yourself...")

Andy briefly wonders whether Oliver and Traci have been comparing Master Zen notes. After all, Shaw has said similar things.

She turns back toward Sam, makes sure he's still following. She can't help the cloud that hangs over her - thoughts that he may have changed his mind -

He's there though. Right there behind her.

Has his eyes focused pretty hard on what she's doing and where she's headed, actually. He smiles at her warmly, nudges her forward gently into a clear space with his hand at the small of her back.

She teeters in her heels a little, inching them toward the frame in the wall that leads to fresh air.

When she's more confident with her footing, she picks up some pace.

She exhales the breath she was holding when they finally get through there. It's long and noisy, and would be embarrassing but for the fact that Sam releases a similar one too.

They stop in the spot just outside the exit, in effect their two bodies are close together and blocking the door. It's almost as though they're both deciding whether being out here was a good idea, or not. All of a sudden they are in unchartered territory…

Again.

Andy swallows, smiles across at Sam because he's smiling too. "Well. We made it," she says.

Sam laughs, this resonant sound that spreads some heat through Andy. "Was there ever any doubt that we would?" he teases, a look on his face that suggests he's worried that Andy actually didn't think they'd get out that door in one piece.

Andy shrugs; letting loose with some giggles because of how nervous she is -

(She wasn't before...earlier. When they were on the dance floor, and even before that...

Okay, she may have been a little shell-shocked a couple of times, but mostly it all just felt really...really...really...nice. She misses how…good…how right things feel…when Sam and her are actually on the same page).

But inside there was some safety in numbers, there were reasons to be there doing things like talking to your...ex...the man you still happen to love, but have no idea what that even means any more...

("Whatever we might feel for one another…it's like…maybe they just aren't enough to make us work…" That's what he told her when she got back –

She agreed with him too. For as heartbroken as she was that he hadn't waited for her…she gets why he tried to move on. She's questioned it so many times herself; love does not make a relationship all by itself.

The words you walked away from us again have haunted her every day since she came back -

Forever walking away…it's what they've both done on different occasions…

Aside the times that they have stayed -

Would things have been different if she had stayed this time around? If she had somehow gotten a message to Sam to tell him that she wanted to give him that second chance in the first place? If she had told him all she needed was some time and some space, think things through without him there every day?

She remembers the pain when she thought all of those things while she was UC. If only she could've read Sam's signs before…read his mind…figured out what he wasn't communicating to her when Jerry died. If anyone should understand coping with trauma, it's Andy…so why couldn't she just see…)

Out here now, the wide-open space has Andy a little disoriented. Despite the stars and the moon, it's dark... and quiet. And Sam may not be touching her anymore, but he's still right by her side. Looking...amazing...

And she thinks they might just have agreed to 'figure it out.' Figure out ...them...and their where to from here…

"I did doubt it, Sam, before…" Andy whispers into the darkness, the exit reminding her of that. "Us. You. Me. I've doubted the lot…I still do, I can't help it. After everything…before we were even an us…and then when Jerry…and you breaking things off….and then…" she takes a slow, shaky breath. "Everything, Sam. Some days, it's like doubt runs through my veins." She looks away from him momentarily, looks up to the stars for some help. "I'm terrified, Sam…"

Sam does hold on to her then, one warm hand on her elbow; "Me too," he admits quietly. "I know what you mean."

His eyes are beautiful under the light of the stars, despite how sad…how regretful they look. He shakes his head, runs his hand from her arm to the tips of her fingers, then laces them between each of his own. "I just…all I know…is that despite everything, despite all of those doubts and those fears…I still feel the same…"

Andy nods, she gets that part too. She knows he cares about her, that he finds her attractive, that he…she knows that he loves her. Even when he was with Marlo, she knew that…knew that he was fighting against it with every part of his being…just like Andy was when she was with Luke –

Just like Andy has tried to fight it for every single month since she's been back.

They stand there, silence all around them for minutes and minutes…just looking into one another's eyes. Both too afraid that whatever they might say next will be it –

A death knell to 'them' once and for all.

"You warm enough?" Sam asks finally, avoiding the difficult conversation and running a hand down the lapel of her coat.

Andy nods, relieved to be prolonging the moment, relieved to just be in this moment with him. "You throw off enough heat for us both," she winks, taking a step in closer.

Sam lets out a dry laugh, and then starts hustling her around the corner to a darker spot still. She lets him lead her to yet another unknown, trusts that he'll get them to a place where they're not in full view -

"Figured we could use some more space," he murmurs, nestling Andy's body between his and the wall.

She smiles up at him, all sorts of beautiful aches spreading through her as his hard, solid muscles line up against hers.

Both of them lean in instinctively, their mouths less than one inch apart.

Andy closes her eyes and breathes in synch with him, takes in his scent.

She can feel his mouth getting closer, anticipates the familiar nudge on the nose. But as the tips of their noses touch, he pauses, and goes no further than that.

She opens her eyes to watch, wondering if he might be thinking the same thing as her –

(They can't, or at least shouldn't jump to their default position –

Lusting things out.)

He smiles small at her, keeps his nose perfectly still in the spot. "In the interest of us continuing to promote transparency and honesty in our relationship…"

Andy giggles a little, but holds herself as still as she can. She loves him, she does. Even when he is the world's biggest dork.

"Gonna tell you right now, McNally," Sam continues softly. "Even though I'm pretty sure you already know it…" he bumps his hips forward, pinning hers to the wall. "I want nothing more than to get us a room…show you…just how much I miss you…how much I still…love you…"

Andy smirks again; thankful of the darkness so he can't see the extent of the blush she's got going –

"Now who's throwing off some heat?" he teases, rubbing one hand down her side on the inside of her coat.

She smacks at his shoulder lightly, enjoying the attention but not wanting to give everything away just yet. "Shut up," she giggles, and then runs a hand down his chest.

"But," he says, voice going serious. "For as awesome as that might be…I know it's not what we need to do…not what we should do right now."

She smiles back at him, can't stop smiling. She definitely would not have objected to them getting that room; she wants him to touch her all over, make love to her all night -

Can't think of anything more wonderful in fact.

Except, Sam's right. Them showing love was never one place that their communication got lost -

They need to talk and listen if they're going to take any sort of step in the direction of actually figuring things out.

"So, what do you propose instead?" Andy murmurs. "You gonna sweep me off my feet again some other way, Swarek?"

The smile Sam gives her then shoots all the way between Andy's chest and her knees, bouncing between the two like it might never stop.

"I'm ...gonna try," he says, after clearing his throat. "If what we're deciding now is that we want...that we want to be together...give us another shot…I wanna try every day."

Andy nods her head in rapid-fire beats. "I wanna try too, Sam." She tries to articulate what she thinks that trying might look like. "One day at a time...we talk, we listen," she says, a real atmosphere of excitement filling the air.

Sam's chest heaves as he catches some breath, continuing the momentum they have started; "we don't try to solve everything all at once..."

Andy nods her head vigorously. "We don't expect everything to be perfect, but we work towards that...we tell one another what we want…what we need...and compromise if we ever think we can't do that..."

"We figure out our problems…and try solve them together….work as a team," Sam's voice gets a little louder, his grip on her tightening.

"And we still have fun," Andy announces, all sorts of elated and demanding with the extra confidence that she's feeling about things. "Because we are a team that has fun."

"We definitely are," Sam nods once in agreement, his voice and face faux-serious. "And we need a lot of it, okay?"

He's smiling at her like a goofball now, and Andy loves it. Suspects her own grin might be a little crazy or manic all in itself.

"Is that where we start?" she asks suddenly, brow furrowing with some confusion still as to the pragmatics of where to from here.

Sam quirks an eyebrow in silent question…but as per usual, he finally catches up to where Andy's mind might have raced. He smiles 'because his partner is his partner' slowly, and then he nods. "Did you get smarter when we broke up?" His teasing is a little easier and less worried than it has been this past few months, and Andy loves that as well.

She laughs brightly, can't help but stick her tongue out at the end. "You don't even know the half of it," she replies a heartbeat later, one eyebrow up and keeping the grin fixed on her face.

He chews into his bottom lip, and puts his hands up in surrender. Only then he moves them to rest on her cheeks. "Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do then."

Andy seriously needs to stop smiling before her face breaks, probably. But she just can't. She wants to kiss him pretty badly, but she also wants to stay in this moment forever –

The two of them just wanting and hoping and being –

"So. Fun is where we start, huh?" Sam breaks into the small stretch of silence. "I think we can actually work with that…"

"Slow and steady…" Andy says softly.

Sam smiles small. "That way, any falls we have along the way won't hurt too much."

Andy can't help herself then, she leans in and embraces him tight around the middle, tucks her face into his neck. In an effort not to reach up and kiss him hard on the mouth, she simply plants a light one at the edge of his jaw.

She feels the warm, steady of his arms go all the way around her, hands rubbing up and down her back as he pulls her away from the wall. "Love you, McNally," he tells her quietly, not a hint of expectation that the statement might be returned.

"Love you too, Sam," she mumbles into him, smiling and trying not to think about what tomorrow or the day after may hold.

An eternity of standing in that position, Sam speaks to her softly again. "We should go back inside. Wish the happy couple well for the next chapter in life."

Andy nods and pulls back, holds out her hand.

They walk in together, just like that. There's no intent for the hand-holding gesture to be any more than what it is; two people walking in the same direction, maintaining a connection, and wondering what may crop up on their path.

"Sammy! McNally!" Oliver bellows, jogging in their direction with a silly grin on his face.

Their friend and colleague is definitely drunk on something –

Alcohol, or love, or probably both.

He throws his arms around the pair of them, gives a bear hug of sorts. "I thought we mighta lost you both…"

Andy giggles as the senior officer squeezes her tightly. Gives her an eyebrow when he spots some errant lip gloss underneath Sam's cheek and the fact that there's hand-holding that is obstructing him from pumping a friendly fist into Sam's side.

Sam grins, squeezes Andy's hand gently. "Nah, buddy. You know we always come back."