The Undercover Life

I have been working on this story FOREVER and am so glad to finally start posting it. I had hoped to have it all out before S4 started, but that isn't going to happen given that S4 is right around the corner!

This story is equal parts exploring the Sam & Andy relationship, and exploring the procedural aspect of the UC. I created the idea for this UC long before we found out what Project Dakota really was about, so there won't be any similarities to the real story, from that point.

Sorry for the long A/N, but one more thing! I usually post chapters pretty quickly, but I'm leaving on vacation soon - and won't even have access to the internet for most of it - SO, it'll be at least a week before the 2nd chapter is posted. SORRY! Once I get back, the quick updates will return!

Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Chapter 1

Andy stood in Luke's office in disbelief over the offer he'd just made. After pleading her case not even 12 hours earlier to be put on his Project Dakota taskforce, she thought the detective had meant it when he said he couldn't give her a spot. And now her emotions were on a roller-coaster, what with Luke's offer, and Sam telling her he loved her and pleading for her to give him another chance. It was too much. All she wanted was to go home and forget the day ever happened.

"I need your answer in five minutes," Luke said, pulling her from her thoughts.

Andy looked up at him, then back in the direction Sam had walked off too and then back at Luke. Just that morning she had pled her case that she wasn't that girl and that this job was a priority for her. Now she had to prove it with her actions. She still loved Sam, but what if she stayed and he walked away again the moment things got tough. She wasn't sure she could trust him to stay, and she didn't know if her heart could take it again when he left.

"I'm in." The words came out of her mouth before she could overthink it.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at your place in half an hour. Pack a small bag, nothing too flashy or expensive. Nothing personal. And tell no one," he instructed. "I have to notify a couple more members of the taskforce."

Andy walked out of the station and got in a cab, so she could get back to her condo quickly and pack.

Once Andy had left his office, Luke got on the phone making a couple calls to notify other members of the taskforce that the undercover portion was starting earlier than expected. He had just hung up when he saw Sam walking down the hallway. "Swarek!" he called out the door of his office.

Sam sighed, but leaned against the doorframe. "Callaghan."

"You heard about the taskforce I'm setting up?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied, acting bored with the conversation.

"Look, the timeframe moved up and one of my senior undercover officers can't go now because his mother's in the hospital. What do you think?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up in shock that Luke was inviting him onto his precious taskforce. He had been so absorbed in Jerry's death, he never gave it much of a second thought, but it was an interesting proposition. "When would you need me?"

"Tonight. I know it's short notice, but I could really use you," Luke replied. Truthfully, he figured Sam was one of very few people he'd be able to convince to go undercover on such short notice.

Sam thought about the invitation he had minutes earlier given to Andy. He asked her to meet him, but maybe what she needed was space to think over what he'd said. He could give her that by taking this job. When he returned, they could get that drink and start over. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Great. Look, I gotta pick up your partner first, but I'll swing by your place in about half an hour," Luke said.

Sam gave him a short nod in understanding before heading out to his truck. He drove by The Penny, idling outside for several minutes as he thought about whether or not she was waiting for him at the bar. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake, leaving like this after he told her he'd do whatever it took to win her back. Running off to an undercover job wasn't on that list, but he felt like he needed this. Time and space had given him the perspective of how much he needed her in his life, how much he loved her; maybe time and space was what they both needed to realize where things went wrong and how to fix it, hot to fix them.

He pulled away from the curb, rushing home so he could pack before Luke picked him up.

Andy was rummaging through her drawers, trying to find the right clothes to bring on this job. Luke hadn't told her anything about her cover yet, or what she'd be doing, but he'd said nothing flashy. She threw in some jeans, a mini skirt, some casual tops and a couple sexier ones.

When she was satisfied she had everything she needed, she pulled out a couple pieces of paper and started the first of two notes. Luke had told her not to contact anyone before she left and she didn't want to break the rules again on another undercover operation, so she reluctantly obliged. But he never said she couldn't let someone know why she'd disappeared after she left. It was a short note. She didn't have time to get into anything lengthy, but most importantly, it allowed her to apologize to Sam for not being able to say goodbye before she left. She hoped he'd understand, given all his time undercover, but she still needed to explain, even if briefly. The second note was for Traci, who she knew would check up on her condo for her once she realized she was gone. Among other things, she asked Traci to deliver the note to Sam for her. Andy could only hope they'd both understand why she had to leave.

She had just sealed the note to Traci when her phone buzzed with a text. It was Luke notifying her he was downstairs waiting. She shut off her phone and tossed it on the counter before picking up her bag and turning in a circle, taking one last look at her condo. This was it; there was no turning back. As of this moment, and for the indefinite future, she was no longer Andy McNally.

Andy tossed her bag in the backseat of Luke's car before settling into the passenger seat. "Got everything you need?" Luke asked. Andy nodded and took one last glance at her condo building. "Nothing personal? No cell phone?"

"No. I'm not an idiot Luke. I know what not to take undercover," she said with a little more attitude than she intended. It was just now that she was actually doing this, she was thinking about Sam and how pissed he was going to be that she left...again. She doubted herself for a moment on whether this was the right thing to do, but shook the thought away. She had to do this, for herself.

"Alright. Look, we're gonna pick up your partner and then I'll give you your cover stories," he explained.

They sat silently as the car traveled through the city - she'd never had an allergy to silence when it came to Luke; was perfectly fine not talking with him. She was thinking about who her partner would be, if she would know him or her, if they'd be from another division, what their cover relationship would be. Andy was lost in her thoughts, staring out the window, but not paying attention to the surroundings. It was when Luke drove down a very familiar street, Andy's eyes snapped to attention, finally taking note of where they were. "Why...why are we here?" she asked nervously, as he slowed up and pulled to the curb.

"Told you, we're picking up your partner." Luke honked the horn, and Andy looked up at the building next to her to see Sam walking out of his apartment.

Sam was preoccupied, fiddling with his keys as he walked to the car and tossed his bag in the backseat. Sliding in after it, he closed the door and looked at the front seat. "Andy..."

"This wasn't planned and neither of you were my first choice," Luke said, his eyes darting back and forth between his two passengers. "But, I know you're capable and can get the job done. Plus, this way I won't have to deal with another 'Candace' ruining an operation."

Andy narrowed her eyes and scowled at his smirk, while Sam wanted to punch the detective. The car was deadly silent and the tension was thick. Neither Sam nor Andy had been prepared for this, for the other one to be their partner on this undercover assignment that could last months.

Luke passed a folder to each of them. "These are your covers and info about the assignment. You won't be able to take any of this with you, so read up as quickly as you can," he explained. He pulled away from the curb and waited a few minutes to start reviewing the information. At a stop light, he glanced over at both of them. "You're going after Terry O'Connor, the head of a very large and successful child trafficking operation. The front is a legitimate adoption operation, claiming to specialize in international adoptions."

"Legitimate?" Sam asked, wondering how they could pass child trafficking off as something legal.

"Yes, they place a small number of children that were legitimately put up for adoption into loving homes. They keep up appearances of a normal adoption agency to prevent suspicion," Luke said.

"So, how did we find out there's anything illegal going on?" Andy asked.

"Word on the street for a long time has been that O'Connor was the one to go to for child slaves. Someone on the inside was arrested during a regular traffic stop; idiot was in possession of marijuana. He can't give us enough to bring O'Connor down, but we cut a deal with him. He's your contact and your way in," he explained.

The car fell silent again as Sam and Andy continued to review the files. They were going in as Ally Sampson and Matt Miller, a young couple from Montreal trying to find a new life after Matt had one too many run-ins with the cops in that city.

"That's your inside man, Carlos Lorenzo," Luke said when he glanced over at Andy and saw her looking at his photo. "Swarek, you're his buddy looking for work. As for you, Andy, they've had some trouble with the kids being scared and nervous. They've been bringing more women into the operation to help with that, to keep the kids calm."

The trio continued chatting about what was known about the operation and soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Luke stopped in front of a bus stop, knowing it wasn't safe to drive them directly to their apartment." Take this bus four stops, then walk two blocks east. Here's the address of your apartment," he said, handing a piece of paper to Andy. He then pulled their new IDs and two burn phones out of a brown bag, handed them over to the couple. "Alright, that's it. Any questions?"

Andy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked over at Sam and back at Luke. She shook her head.

"We've got it, Callaghan," Sam said.

"Good luck," Luke said.

Sam and Andy got out of the car, and he grabbed their bags. As they watched Luke drive away, Andy took her bag from Sam. "I got it," she said.

"I can carry your bag, McNally."

"Ally," she corrected him, already worried about who might be within earshot.

"Ally, gimme your bag," he said, walking over to the bench in front of the bus stop with her.

"S'ok, Matt. I got it."

He shook his head at how stubborn she could be sometimes, but let it go. They had more pressing issues to talk about once they got into the confines of their apartment. Like how to get over the massive baggage they brought with them into this op.

It was less than 45 minutes later when they walked up to the old apartment building that would be their home. They made their way up to the third floor and into the one-bedroom apartment. Sam walked around checking everything out as Andy stood near the door taking in her new home. She was still a little shell-shocked that she was going to be spending the indefinite future undercover with Sam. "I'll take the couch," he said, pulling her from her thoughts. She said nothing, simply moving further into the room.

"We'll have to get some groceries tomorrow, but if you're hungry, we can order pizza or something," he said, watching her eyes dart around the room.

"Uh, no, I'm fine, not hungry," she said, finally looking over at him.

"Okie dokie." He shrugged his shoulders.

Andy made her way to the bedroom and unpacked her clothes into the only small dresser in the room, making sure to leave room for Sam's things. She stared at her reflection in a dirty mirror hung haphazardly on the wall and saw the dark circles under her eyes. She was tired and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed, but she knew they had to talk and it was better to get it out of the way so they could focus on their job.

She walked back into the living room and found Sam looking out the window and she could tell he was assessing their surroundings. "Sam?"

He turned around at her voice and took a few cautious steps toward her. "Yeah?"

She was going to tell him they should talk, get the elephant out of the room before too much time passed, but those weren't the words that came out. "You were gonna leave without telling me?"

"Just like you," he threw back at her.

She regretted her accusation and stepped closer so there wasn't half a room in between them. "I left a note," she said quietly. Sam's eyebrows shot up at her admission. "I don't think I was supposed to, but I did."

"I tried calling you. It went straight to voicemail," he admitted. He'd been sitting on his couch waiting for Luke when he dialed her number; was going to see if she'd take a rain check on that drink. Neither of them were obviously good at following the rules. "I didn't think you'd come to The Penny. I thought you wanted space...so I was going to give it to you."

"I don't like time and space. I...I think I was going to come." Truthfully, she never had to force herself to make the decision, having been cornered by Luke and his invitation first. But she thinks her heart would've convinced her to go.

"You were?" In two strides he was face to face with her, his hand coming to rest lightly on her arm. She nodded in response to his question. "I meant what I said earlier, everything. I want to make it up to you. I'm sorry."

"I don't know what to make of this, Sam. I was ready to have a drink, not..." She looked around the room and waved her hand around. "Not move in together. I don't know how we do this."

"If either of us back out now - "

"No, we can't do that. We just...I don't know." She pulled from the light grasp of his hand and sat down on the couch.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course things couldn't be easy. They couldn't be sharing a drink at The Penny as he tried to make amends. They had to be thrust into living together before they'd even had a chance to talk. So, he figured they both needed to do what he did best - compartmentalize. "We become our characters. We're not Sam and Andy anymore. We just...We deal with Sam and Andy's complicated life when we get back. For now..." he said, sitting down next to her. "For now, we're Matt and Ally. We're friends with Carlos and ready to work for Terry O'Conner."

"Right, Matt and Ally, a happy couple." She nodded vigorously, as if trying to make herself believe it. "Do you think we can do this?"

"No matter what's happened between us, there's still no one I'd rather have watching my back," he said.

She nodded again, this time much more confidently. "Me too."

Sam looked around the apartment. It wasn't the Four Seasons, but it was halfway decent. They had a couch and oversized chair circled around a television creating a small living room area. Behind the couch was a small kitchen table situated near a row of cabinets, a small stove and fridge. The apartment looked like it was last decorated in the 1970s, but it was clean. They'd manage. He'd been in a lot worse.

He got up and walked toward the small window of the kitchen sink. "We've got good views of the street and the alley," he commented. He was used to sizing up his surroundings as soon as he entered a new UC. Knowing what he was dealing with calmed any nerves he might have...usually. This time his nerves were eating at him, but he couldn't tell if it was because he had another life to keep safe on this assignment or just who that life was. "It's late. We, uh, we should get some sleep," he suggested, turning back to where she was still sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, yeah," she said standing. "Big day tomorrow."

"You take the bed. I'll be fine on the couch," Sam said as he began rummaging through his duffle bag.

Andy nodded, even though he wasn't looking at her, and took a couple steps toward the bedroom before stopping. "Sam?" She waited until he looked up at her. "I know you left to give us time and space, but, uh, don't do that here. I need to know you're fully here with me, that we can survive this assignment."

"Agreed. We only have each other here. No time and space," he agreed. As she turned toward the bedroom, he decided that even if they weren't going to talk, he needed to know something. "Andy...Can I ask...you know why I took the job, but, uh, why'd you take it?"

Andy glanced down at her fidgeting hands. "Before you..." She looked up so her eyes could connect with his, knowing that whatever words she fumbled over to get this out, he'd be able to read what she was truly saying with her eyes. "Before everything that happened...the grenade, everything...this morning, I pleaded with Luke to put me on the taskforce. Begged him. I needed a change. I needed..."

"To get away from me," Sam finished for her.

"It was too hard seeing you every day when you...When I felt like you wanted nothing to do with me. So I begged him, even after he said no, I begged for the position. When he offered it to me after...even after everything you said, I...I couldn't say no. I had to prove to him, to myself, that I wasn't that girl everyone seems to accuse me of being," she explained. Maybe not everyone, but her mom and Luke basically telling her the same thing within an hour of each other made it feel like that.

"Guess the universe had another plan for us," he said, trying to crack a small smile. It was ironic really, they both took the assignment to get away from the other, but here they were, together with nowhere to run.

She let out a quick laugh and walked to the bedroom, pausing in the doorway. "Goodnight, Sam."

"Night, McNally."

Andy laid down in bed and despite sleeping alone for nearly the last two months, she rolled onto her side wishing the other half of the bed wasn't empty. She knew it was for the best that Sam slept on the couch, but knowing he was so close she couldn't help but miss how his arms would wrap around her when they used to fall asleep together. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself and willed herself to fall asleep.

In the next room Sam tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable spot on the couch. All he could think about was Andy lying in bed in the next room. After everything he'd done to push her away, he could only blame himself for the stiff neck he was going to have in the morning. He knew they agreed to focus on the job and not them, but he couldn't help but wish she was falling asleep in his arms.