This fic is 1000% McSwarek, but starts with an Andy/Nick scene (as friends) to setup the rest of the story. Just wanted to put that out there so no one thinks this is an Andy/Nick fic! When I came up with this idea, it was going to be a quick one-shot, but it had a mind of its own, so there will be two chapters. :)

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think with a review. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

Forty-eight Hours

"Want to head down to Niagara for the weekend? There's this this amazing bike trail I think you'd love," Nick suggested as he sat down at the table for breakfast.

Andy looked up from her bowl of cereal shocked. "What? Um, I mean...I thought…This is our weekend off, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I thought we'd get out of town, forget about...everything for a while," he responded.

"Oh...um." Andy bit her bottom lip not sure how to break the news. She thought they'd both been on the same page about being excited about what this weekend meant for them. "Blackstone's bringing me back to the city tonight. I thought...I figured you were, you were doing the same thing."

Nick dropped his fork, not really hungry anymore for the omelet he'd made. He'd been trying to convince Andy to try his stellar breakfast, but she always refused. "Yeah, no. Gail's in another country and...well, there's no one else for me to see. You're not afraid your head won't be back in the game when you return?"

"I guess we'll find out. But I can't pass this up. I need to…." Andy got up and put her bowl in the sink. Slowly turning around she leaned back against the counter. "It's already been three months. We don't know how much longer we'll be under. I need to see him if I have this chance."

"You're doing this so you can see Swarek? You've got to be kidding me Andy. He's not worth risking all this," Nick said.

"I'm not risking anything, Nick! We were given this opportunity. Blackstone's driving me home himself. I'm not sneaking away and risking our covers," she said angrily, trying not to let her voice rise as she didn't want the neighbors to hear.

"You said yourself you were over him, that he was your past. What happened to that Andy? He's not good enough for you," he threw back at her as he tossed his remaining breakfast in the trash, no longer hungry. "You deserve someone better."

"Stop it, Nick. You have no right to say that about Sam. I only agreed with you that day to get you to shut up. I don't know what you're trying to do, but I will never stop loving Sam and if I can spend 48 hours making up for leaving, I will." With that, she stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door. She just needed to get away from Nick for a while and in their small apartment, the bedroom with the crappy bed was the only place to retreat to.

That night after dinner, Andy followed Blackstone's instructions and took two buses before meeting him in a park. He drove her back to the city, dropping her off at a bus stop so she could finish the journey. He held out his hand, waiting for her to put her UC phone and ID in it. In return, he pulled something out of his pocket. "For this weekend only," he warned, handing over her cell phone and real ID. For 48 hours she was back to being Andy McNally.

"Thanks...for this," she told him as she got out of the car. She watched him drive off, before sitting on the bench to wait for the next bus. She knew exactly where her destination would be, and if she figured out the timing right, she'd be there in about half an hour. She thought about calling him while on her way, but this wasn't something to be done over the phone. Plus, he'd be less likely to reject her in person.

Andy walked up to Sam's apartment, taking note that his truck was gone and all the lights were off. She rang the doorbell anyway, just in case. When there was no answer, she discreetly picked the lock and let herself in. Her eyes grew accustomed to the dark quickly and she walked through the rooms one by one confirming he wasn't there. She dropped her duffle bag in his bedroom and headed to the kitchen.

Not knowing when Sam would be home, she grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge and sat down on the couch. She didn't know why she left all of the lights off; maybe it was a result of the stealthy undercover work she'd been doing. More than half an hour went by as she sat there in the dark sipping the water, and her eyelids were slowly becoming heavy.

She decided to lay down, close her eyes for just a second, while she waited. The instant her eyes closed, she was fast asleep.

An hour later Sam opened the door to his apartment after a long night at The Penny. Her scent invaded his senses immediately. He headed directly into his living room and under the glow cast by the moonlight saw her lying there on his couch. He was simultaneously pissed off that she'd had the nerve to just leave without a word three months ago and relieved that she was here now, alive and as beautiful as ever.

He wanted to wake her up and yell at her and tell her he loved her and kiss her until she was breathless. But even in the dark, he could tell she was exhausted. So, he padded over to the couch, pulled the blanket off the back of it and draped it gently over her. He didn't know what brought her here tonight - or how she got in, for that matter - but whatever it was could wait until morning.

Sam headed to his bedroom, stripped off his clothes and threw on some pajama bottoms before going straight to bed. He lay there for a while, staring at his ceiling and wondering what brought her here tonight. He wondered whether her undercover assignment was over or if she'd gotten into trouble and needed his help. He wondered why this was apparently the first place she'd come after leaving him without a goodbye three months earlier. Sleep finally took over, but it was restless as he tossed and turned.

Andy woke up startled and confused by her surroundings. She bolted upright, forgetting for a moment where she was. As her pounding heart slowed down, she remembered coming to Sam's, and apparently falling asleep while she waited for him. Knowing she hadn't been the one to pull the blanket on top of her, she assumed he'd come home and found her sleeping on his couch.

Needing to confirm her suspicions, she found herself making her way to his bedroom, stopping just outside the door. She knew she should go back to the couch, let him sleep and approach the conversation they needed to have in the morning. However, seeing him lying there, shirtless with the sheets tangled around his legs, she felt a familiar warmth course through her veins.

For once, she did something without thinking about it. She crossed the room quickly and put a knee on the bed with the intention of straddling him to wake him up. But the simple motion of the bed moving had Sam's reflexes kick in, grabbing Andy and rolling them over until she was trapped beneath him. As full consciousness came over him and he realized who was beneath him, he pushed out a breath and shook his head.

"Jesus, Andy."

"I'm sorry, you were just...I couldn't…" She stopped struggling to find the words and focused on the way Sam was staring down at her, and how he hadn't released her from his grasp yet. She felt her heart pounding as her eyes traveled from his eyes to his lips and back again.

Sam didn't know what he was doing. He should sit up, release her, so they could talk. Or at least go back to sleep...in separate rooms. Hell, he'd take the couch…with a pit stop at a cold shower first. But the moment he'd touched her, something surged through his body. Before he knew what he was doing he was lowering his lips to hers.

His hands shifted from pinning her arms down to caressing her body, and her now free hands returned the feelings he was creating in her. Her fingertips traced his body, reminding her of every curve, every muscle, every inch of him.

In minutes, their clothes were strewn across the room as they clung to each other like they were starved for food and the other was a feast. Their heads were clouded with the passion felt for each other, forgetting the pain and hurt each had buried deep inside.

The next morning, Sam woke up with a familiar weight on his chest. Prying his eyes open, he saw her chestnut hair tucked under his chin and her hand splayed across one side of his chest. God, how he wanted to wake up like this every morning for the rest of his life. Her time away had only proven that to him.

He slid his fingertips up and down her back as he stared up at the ceiling. He would never regret what they'd done last night, but jumping back into bed together when he didn't even know why she was here and before they had a chance to talk about anything, wasn't one of his finer moments. He didn't want her to think all she was to him was sex – always the most fantastic sex he'd ever have, but that wasn't all she was to him.

His hand stilled on her back as she started to stir. The moment she began to wake up, there was no mistaking where she was. She recognized the familiar arms wrapped around her, the warm body her own was tangled with. As she fell asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning, she'd thought it had been a dream, that she'd wake up back in the crappy undercover apartment. But as her fingers played with the hair on Sam's chest, she knew it was anything but a dream.

That also meant they'd skipped talking. They'd jumped right back into bed without thinking of anything but their desires. And that wasn't how she'd planned this reunion. She shifted so she could rest her head on her hand and look down at him. "Hey," she said with a sheepish grin.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair that cascaded down her back.

She nodded, but the smile quickly dropped from her face. "I didn't...that wasn't what I came here for."

"Don't think you would've fallen asleep on my couch if you did," he teased.

She hung her head, trying to hide her face so he wouldn't see her blush, but his fingers nudged her chin, making her look at him. "You in trouble?" he asked, the tone of his voice turning serious.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. We're fine. The operation - "

"Is fine?" He grinned as he finished her sentence and she couldn't help the giggle that slipped out.

"Yeah. I'm not in any trouble, I promise," she told him.

"Okie dokie. Then I think we need some breakfast," he told her, shifting her to the side so he could sit up. As his hands moved across her body in the night, he hadn't missed how thin she'd gotten in the last few months and didn't like it. He knew the toll undercover could take, even just the stress of it could be harmful to the body.

She stared at him in awe as he got up and threw some sweats on, amazed at how relaxed he seemed about her showing up out of the blue after all this time. And, well, she wasn't immune to exactly what she was staring at. His naked body was a beauty; his tanned skin, the way his muscles moved, the perfect specimen of a man that he was. She wanted to forget about everything they needed to talk about and have him come back to bed and make love to her for the next two days.

"Why don't you grab a shower while I make us something to eat," he suggested, pulling her from her thoughts. Turning to face the bed, his heart stopped for a moment as he saw Andy lying there, wrapped in his sheets, her hair fanned out over his pillow. He had to get out of this room before he pounced on her again like he did the night before.

"Thanks. I'll make it quick," she replied.

"No rush, got all the time in the world."

And that, well, that wasn't entirely true. "Sam...wait." She sat up, holding the sheet around her as he turned and leaned against the door frame. She didn't know how to say this, so she decided to blurt it out. "I only have the weekend. Gotta be back Sunday night."

"Then we better make the most of it," he said without missing a beat. He pushed himself off the door frame before letting his lips curve into a small smile. "Check under the sink," he said, nodding toward the bathroom before heading down the hallway.

When she made her way to the bathroom with a change of clothes, Andy crouched down and opened the cabinet under the sink. Her eyes filled up when they locked onto a small box filled with the toiletries she had long ago left here - her body wash, shampoo, lotion, various hair clips and scrunchies, her toothbrush and some other miscellaneous items. He hadn't thrown any of it away.

Sam was putting their food on plates when Andy walked into the kitchen, hair still damp from the shower. "Perfect timing," she said as he pushed a mug of coffee into her hands.

"I'm familiar with how long it takes you to get ready in the morning," he said, tongue in his cheek to stop from grinning too widely.

She smiled back at him before taking a sip of coffee. She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh at how heavenly it was; just how she liked it.

"Have a seat," he told her.

Following instructions, she took a seat at the table as Sam placed a plate full of scrambled eggs – the only way to eat eggs, in her mind - bacon and toast in front of her. "Thanks. You didn't need to do all this."

"Yeah, well, I'm fresh out of your fruity sugary cereal, so a healthy breakfast is gonna have to do," he smirked.

"Ha." Taking her first bite, it was like heaven. She felt like she'd been starved from good food for the last three months. She wasn't a great cook and Nick wasn't much better - actually, he was worse, his food always came out rubbery or burnt and made her puke on more than one occasion - so they'd ordered a lot of takeout. "This is delicious. Thank you."

"Everything going okay?" he asked.

"We're making headway," she said, knowing she couldn't tell him details, but wanting - no needing - to share something with him. "It was slow at first, but it's picked up and they have us more involved. It's only a matter of time before we get everything we need."

"Good to hear. Sounds like it's going well," he said, not able to hide how proud he was.

She shrugged as she looked over at him. "I learned from the best."

"McNally…"

"It's true, Sam. I learned what I need to survive this from you." She thought back to late night conversations and cuddling on the couch when she'd pepper him with questions about his undercover work.

"Pretty sure you didn't learn about weekends away from me," he smirked, prompting her to spill what was going on.

"The guy in charge...he's different than Boyd. He said he likes to let his undercovers get a little time away, to refresh. So, he gave us the option to come home this weekend if we wanted," she explained.

"Different. Interesting approach." He couldn't help notice how she mentioned they were given a choice. She had chosen to come home, to come see him.

"Hope you don't mind me just showing up. Calling seemed...didn't feel right," she told him.

"It was a nice surprise," he said with sincerity. "How'd you get in?"

"Picked the lock." She gave him a sheepish look as she stuffed more breakfast into her mouth.

He shook his head; he should've known. All that boasting about being able to pick a lock by her 12th birthday. "So, uh, you had the option? Could've stayed under?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," she said, nodding. "Nick stayed. But I wanted...I had to see you."

"I'm glad you came." Eyes locked on each other, their mouths curved into matching smiles.

When they were finished with breakfast, she helped him load the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna grab a shower," he told her when they were done. "Make yourself at home."

Andy took the time to call her dad, tell him she loved and missed him, and that she was okay. He understood why she had to take the assignment, even if he wasn't ecstatic about it. The conversation was brief - Tommy had never been much of a talker - but filled with love.

After calling her dad, Andy fidgeted nervously as she looked around Sam's living room. She'd always felt at home here, but her nerves about what lie ahead today were getting the best of her. She knew they had to have a serious talk before they went any further. She nervously folded the blanket she'd found draped over her the night before and placed it on the back of the couch. As she was smoothing it out, a book on the coffee table caught her eye.

Walking over and picking it up, she flipped through it and recognized it as the same book Traci had when she was studying for the detective's exam. Before she could process what it meant to find this book here, Sam's voice filled the room.

"I take the exam in two weeks," he said, joining her in the living room.

Startled, she nearly dropped the book as she looked over at him. "You...wow...congrats."

"You can say that if I pass," he said, taking the book from her and staring at it for a moment before tossing it down on the table.

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," she reassured him. "I didn't know you wanted this."

"I didn't. Frank asked me and I said yes. There's too much for just Nash to handle," he explained.

"Makes sense. I'll have to buy you a congratulatory drink when I get back," she said, immediately regretting bringing up drinks. She saw the look on Sam's face drop as he took a seat on the couch. "Sam…" She joined him, but sat at the other end of the couch. "I'm sorry."

"I sat there like an idiot until closing," he said, eyes looking anywhere but at Andy.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "After everything you said, I didn't know what to think and before I could decide anything, Luke was inviting me onto his taskforce. And you...you broke my heart, Sam."

"Well, you got me back."

"What do you want me to say, Sam?" She stood up and began pacing the room. "I said I'm sorry, two words that have never left your mouth. You broke up with me in a parking lot in the rain when all I wanted to do was be there for you. You ignored me for six weeks. I was trying to move on without you in my life when you finally tell me you love me. What the hell was I supposed to do, Sam? What do you want me to say?"

"I was messed up after...after Jerry, so I pushed you away. And I am sorry. I'm sorry I didn't use those words, that you didn't know how sorry I was. But I was, I am. I told you that I made a mistake, that I'd do anything to make it up to you, to make us work. You did not feel the same way. You left, without so much as a goodbye. You ran…again. What do you want me to do Andy?"

They were both standing now, but on opposite sides of the room staring each other down.

"I did feel the same way," she said softly. She walked over to the window and stared out, her eyes not really focusing on anything. "What do I want?" She repeated his question as she contemplated an answer. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want us to stop keeping score. We've both run. We've both been stupid. We both made mistakes. But I love you, I've never stopped loving you." She took a couple of tentative steps toward him before stopping, scared he wouldn't return the feelings.

"I've missed you. I didn't want to, but I did," he said, taking several steps toward her. "I think about the future - kids, park on Sundays, real life. Something more. With you."

Staring into each other's eyes, there was a magnetic pull that brought them toward each other. Standing toe to toe, Andy licked her lips, trying to figure out what to say next. Sam didn't give her the chance though, his hand cupped the back of her head to bring her even closer until his lips covered hers. Her hands slid up his chest, gripping the material of his shirt gently as she deepened the kiss.

When he pulled back and rubbed his nose against hers, she smiled. She'd missed the smallest of gestures like that, that were truly and genuinely Sam.

"Would you have come? If the taskforce was out of the picture, would you have come?" he asked softly.

She gave a small shrug of her shoulders and dropped her hands to her sides. "I don't know. You left me so confused. It was weeks undercover before I think I understood where you were coming from. That night...I just don't know."

"Fair enough." He took a step back, not sure what this all meant. They'd aired out how they'd both had their heart broken, how they'd hurt each other, and he didn't know where to go from there.

"But now...we've both had time to grow and learn. And maybe we can make this work. I want to," she said, taking a step toward him and grabbing his hand. "I have no right to ask you to wait. I have no idea how long this operation is going to last. But I - "

"I'll wait." He circled his arms around her and brought her flush against him. "I'll be here when you're done."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I really am sorry."

Sam took a deep breath before pressing a kiss to her temple. "I am too, I'm sorry. And...I love you, I do."

"What do we do now?" she asked. "I only have 36 hours."

"We make the most of it," he said, stroking a hand down her hair as he held her close, something he'd longed to do for a while. "This is your day off. What do you want to do?"

She held onto him tight, like she never wanted to let him go. "Can we...would it be okay if we just watched a movie? I just want to spend the time with you."

An hour later they were halfway through a movie, some comedy they'd found on TV. They were both lying on the couch, Andy's back tucked against Sam's front as he absentmindedly drew patterns on her hip. Sam laughed loudly at some stupid joke the lead actor made and was surprised when Andy's laughter didn't fill the room with his.

"Don't think that was funny, McNally?" His question was answered with silence. He pushed himself up so he could see around to her face and smiled when he saw her eyes closed. He reached over to grab the remote off the coffee table, which woke her up. "Hey, sorry, go back to sleep. I'm just gonna shut the TV off."

"Mmm, I don't want to sleep," she said groggily.

"It's okay. I know how tiring undercover can be. It's okay to sleep," he told her.

Shaking off the last remnants of sleep, she shifted onto her back. Leaning up, she nipped at his chin. "Don't. Want. To. Sleep." To show him exactly what she wanted, she slid her hand down his chest to the buttons of his jeans. He stared at her with wide eyes as she slowly plucked each button open. He swallowed thickly when her fingers slid into his boxers and wrapped around him.

"Don't start something you're not prepared to finish," he said, his voice coming out rough, like he hadn't had water in days.

"Oh, I plan to finish." With her free hand she pulled his face down to hers so she could capture his lips with her own.

They had both finished multiple times before they lay on their sides, tired and content, limbs tangled, blanket haphazardly thrown over them, staring into each other's eyes. Andy smiled and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'm happy."

"Well, after that I hope you're happy," he teased.

"Shut up," she said, playfully smacking his arm. "Not that. I mean, well, yeah that was, you know...but that's not what I mean." Flustered, she buried her face in his shoulder.

"McNally. Andy." He cupped the side of her face and made her look at him. "Tell me. Tell me why you're happy."

She covered his hand that was still against her face. "This. You. Us. That we finally figured something out. Even if it's not perfect right now."

"I'm happy too." He pulled her toward him, languidly kissing her until they needed air. "It's never gonna be perfect, but...it's us."

She rested her head against the bicep of his arm that was stretched out beneath her and used it as a pillow. She drew shapes on his chest as the smile left her face. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be gone," she whispered.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, gently brushed it off her shoulder before his thumb began drawing circles on her skin. "I know," was what he finally replied with. He didn't have to like it, but he understood. She'd started this job and she was going to finish it. He wouldn't make her feel guilty about it, wouldn't beg her to stay. He'd support her the best way he could.

"Maybe I can ask for another weekend," she thought aloud.

"Don't risk your cover. I'd rather wait than you get made trying to see me," he said. They both knew 'getting made' also likely meant injury or death.

"I could buy a throwaway phone, call you on that. No one would know," she said, still thinking about how she could see or talk to him again.

"Hey, I'm gonna be here when you get back. I'm gonna wait. Don't you question that," he told her.

"I know," she said softly. "I wish we didn't have to...wait, that is. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too." He pressed his lips against hers and felt the tear that escaped her eye hit the skin where their lips were joined. He kissed it away as he shifted her underneath him. His hand moved slowly, feeling every curve and bump of her body. He made sweet, slow love to her to show just how much he was going to miss her.