so easy
for the sake of this story, everyone's at the station doing paperwork or something. okay bye.
--
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Andy bounces Noah on her hip to soothe him before wiping her hand on her jeans.
She turns her head towards Bella, who's already managed to skip off ahead of her, plucking flowers from the front of the station.
"Isabella. May. Swarek" Andy grinds out sternly, rushing over as fast as she can. "How many times have I told you that you can't just run off like that?!"
Bella turns around and smiles apologetically, the guilty look on her face an exact replica of her father's. "I was just getting some flowers for daddy."
Andy shakes her head, extending a hand towards her. "Hold my hand."
Bella obliges quickly, beaming up at her mother in an attempt to get a smile out of her. Andy's lips quirk, but she just squeezes her hand in response, walking towards the station again.
They're greeted instantly by her coworkers and friends, buzzed in as everyone says their hellos, with hand shakes for Bella all around. Andy's just finally got a grasp on Bella's hand again before she's racing up the stairs towards Oliver's office,.
"BELLA!" Andy reprimands, her tone enough to halt her toddler's steps. Bella pauses, waiting patiently at Oliver's door as she waits for Andy to catch up.
Oliver holds up a hand as he wraps up his call, and then gets up to open the door. Bella bounces in her place in excitement, lets him pull her up before she wraps her arms around his neck. Andy watches as Oliver tickles her and they exchange a few words before Bella hides a hand behind her back, pulling out a flower and tucking it into his shirt collar, the rest hidden away from sight. Oliver bows his head in thanks, kissing his niece on her cheek before looking towards Andy and waving her over.
"Sorry about that" Andy apologizes, as Oliver pinches Noah's cheeks and shakes his head.
"I'm used to the Swareks storming into my office" he quips.
Andy grins, looks around. "Speaking of, where's my other Swarek?"
"Headed towards the break room last I saw" Oliver offers, letting Bella loose as he shares a knowing glance with Andy.
(He'd called her earlier, alerting her to Sam's mood. She hadn't planned on stopping by the station, but once she'd heard about how the missing child case had ended, she'd packed up the cookies and cupcakes they'd been baking and headed straight over.)
"Thanks" Andy replies, watching Oliver return to work before she grabs Bella's hand and steers her towards the break room.
--
"DADDY!"
Sam turns around at the sound of thundering feet, the grin on his face automatic. He puts down his coffee just in time to catch his little runner as she jumps into his arms, giggling delightfully as she tucks her face into his neck.
He kisses her soft on the head, petting her hair affectionately before turning his attention to Andy who's shaking her head at the father-daughter duo. "Hey" she whispers softly.
Sam smiles slow, bends down to kiss Noah before turning his attention back to her, quick kiss in greeting. Noah turns around and begins squealing as he recognizes his dad, practically leaping out of Andy's arms.
Bella tightens her grip around Sam, distracting him with the crumpled flowers she picks out from the pockets of her overalls, holding them close to his face. "It's for you!"
Eyebrows raised, Sam's expression is touched as he acknowledges the bunch and the kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, sweetheart."
Andy smirks as she watches the expression on his face. He goes from adoring to uncomfortable pretty soon, as he tries to hold back a sneeze.
(He's allergic to some varieties, nothing major, but just enough to cause a sneezefest. She found out the first time he bought her flowers. By the time she opened the door to her apartment, he had discarded the flowers, his nose red, and eyes watery as he asked her for tissues. They went with the fake kind ever since.)
"Belle, why don't you go show those to Aunt Traci?" she suggests, letting Sam off the hook. "And you can tell her about" she leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, "the surprise for daddy?"
Bella's eyes widen as she starts squirming in Sam's arms until he lets go, sneezing loudly into his shoulder just as soon as she runs off.
Andy takes a step back, wincing. She quickly pulls out tissues from the diaper bag she's carrying and hands it over. "I'll be right back," she offers, rushing off with a squirming and squealing Noah just as Sam loudly sneezes into another tissue.
Once she's securely dropped Noah off with his favorite Aunt Gail, Andy grabs some water and allergy meds for Sam and heads back to the break room. (Sam's teasingly called her Doc ever since Bella was born. She just liked to be prepared, she insisted. He was still amused. Well, until Bella scrapped her knee at the playground and he couldn't find any antiseptic in it)
She quickly hands over the items she was carrying, leaning back against the counter as Sam swallow the pills. "Thanks."
Andy just shuffles closer in response, leaning against his arm as she faces forward.
Sam mimics the posture, folding his arms as he looks down at his feet.
They stand there for a while in comfortable silence, neither willing to break it.
Until they are interrupted by the sound of Sam's stomach growling.
Andy snorts, turning to find a sheepish grin on his face. "We brought you some lunch. And cookies."
"Cookies, huh?" Sam pulls her close with her belt loops, amused. "Busy day?"
"Not as busy as yours" Andy replies, searching his eyes as she rests her palms on his chest. A somber expression replaces the one on Sam's face, causing Andy to grimace at the pain in his eyes.
She doesn't want to push him to talk about it--knows he will on his own. So she does the one thing that's always worked--she wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds him until he does the same and holds her back.
Another bout of silence follows as they both stand there, seeking comfort in the hug.
When Andy feels Sam's arms loosen around hers, she leans back and looks at him with a small smile. "So, your daughter's a budding artist."
"My daughter?" Sam grins, thankful for the change of subject. There's an edge of pride in his voice, even though he's attempting to sound surprised. "Art was never my strong suit."
"Mmmhm" Andy begins, mournfully. "More like graffiti. She decided to test out one of my red sharpies on her wall today."
Sam groans and Andy nods in agreement, before they both look at each other and chuckle. He bends down to lean his forehead against hers. "What are we gonna do with that one?"
"I told her you'll choose the punishment this time, so...better figure out something good" Andy replies, caressing his jaw as she holds him there for an extra second before letting go. "And don't think you can let her off the hook like last time, I know all about it."
Sam groans yet again, dry scrubbing his face. "It wasn't like that..." he offers weakly.
Andy gives him a stern glance, arms folded. "Right."
She receives a disarming smile in response, but she's got his number and refuses to budge. "Fine. We can choose the punishment together this time" Sam offers, unfolding her arms as he pulls her close again. "Okay, partner?"
Raising an eyebrow, Andy tries to resist, but the expression on his face, coupled with the tone he applies to "partner" makes her lips curve up involuntarily. "Yeah, okay. Fine."
Grinning triumphantly, Sam leans in for a kiss but stops halfway, quickly diverting his face as another sneeze erupts.
Shaking her head, Andy backs away, avoiding his grabby hands as she starts to head out. "I gotta go check on the kids, grab your lunch and I'll meet you back here."
"McNally" Sam calls out, making her pause mid-step.
She turns around questioningly.
He opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it back up, seemingly changing his mind. "Thank you."
Andy grins, winking before heading out. "Love you too."
--
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Andy bounces Noah on her hip to soothe him before wiping her hand on her jeans.
She turns her head towards Bella, who's already managed to skip off ahead of her, plucking flowers from the front of the station.
"Isabella. May. Swarek" Andy grinds out sternly, rushing over as fast as she can. "How many times have I told you that you can't just run off like that?!"
Bella turns around and smiles apologetically, the guilty look on her face an exact replica of her father's. "I was just getting some flowers for daddy."
Andy shakes her head, extending a hand towards her. "Hold my hand."
Bella obliges quickly, beaming up at her mother in an attempt to get a smile out of her. Andy's lips quirk, but she just squeezes her hand in response, walking towards the station again.
They're greeted instantly by her coworkers and friends, buzzed in as everyone says their hellos, with hand shakes for Bella all around. Andy's just finally got a grasp on Bella's hand again before she's racing up the stairs towards Oliver's office,.
"BELLA!" Andy reprimands, her tone enough to halt her toddler's steps. Bella pauses, waiting patiently at Oliver's door as she waits for Andy to catch up.
Oliver holds up a hand as he wraps up his call, and then gets up to open the door. Bella bounces in her place in excitement, lets him pull her up before she wraps her arms around his neck. Andy watches as Oliver tickles her and they exchange a few words before Bella hides a hand behind her back, pulling out a flower and tucking it into his shirt collar, the rest hidden away from sight. Oliver bows his head in thanks, kissing his niece on her cheek before looking towards Andy and waving her over.
"Sorry about that" Andy apologizes, as Oliver pinches Noah's cheeks and shakes his head.
"I'm used to the Swareks storming into my office" he quips.
Andy grins, looks around. "Speaking of, where's my other Swarek?"
"Headed towards the break room last I saw" Oliver offers, letting Bella loose as he shares a knowing glance with Andy.
(He'd called her earlier, alerting her to Sam's mood. She hadn't planned on stopping by the station, but once she'd heard about how the missing child case had ended, she'd packed up the cookies and cupcakes they'd been baking and headed straight over.)
"Thanks" Andy replies, watching Oliver return to work before she grabs Bella's hand and steers her towards the break room.
--
"DADDY!"
Sam turns around at the sound of thundering feet, the grin on his face automatic. He puts down his coffee just in time to catch his little runner as she jumps into his arms, giggling delightfully as she tucks her face into his neck.
He kisses her soft on the head, petting her hair affectionately before turning his attention to Andy who's shaking her head at the father-daughter duo. "Hey" she whispers softly.
Sam smiles slow, bends down to kiss Noah before turning his attention back to her, quick kiss in greeting. Noah turns around and begins squealing as he recognizes his dad, practically leaping out of Andy's arms.
Bella tightens her grip around Sam, distracting him with the crumpled flowers she picks out from the pockets of her overalls, holding them close to his face. "It's for you!"
Eyebrows raised, Sam's expression is touched as he acknowledges the bunch and the kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, sweetheart."
Andy smirks as she watches the expression on his face. He goes from adoring to uncomfortable pretty soon, as he tries to hold back a sneeze.
(He's allergic to some varieties, nothing major, but just enough to cause a sneezefest. She found out the first time he bought her flowers. By the time she opened the door to her apartment, he had discarded the flowers, his nose red, and eyes watery as he asked her for tissues. They went with the fake kind ever since.)
"Belle, why don't you go show those to Aunt Traci?" she suggests, letting Sam off the hook. "And you can tell her about" she leaned in closer, whispering in her ear, "the surprise for daddy?"
Bella's eyes widen as she starts squirming in Sam's arms until he lets go, sneezing loudly into his shoulder just as soon as she runs off.
Andy takes a step back, wincing. She quickly pulls out tissues from the diaper bag she's carrying and hands it over. "I'll be right back," she offers, rushing off with a squirming and squealing Noah just as Sam loudly sneezes into another tissue.
Once she's securely dropped Noah off with his favorite Aunt Gail, Andy grabs some water and allergy meds for Sam and heads back to the break room. (Sam's teasingly called her Doc ever since Bella was born. She just liked to be prepared, she insisted. He was still amused. Well, until Bella scrapped her knee at the playground and he couldn't find any antiseptic in it)
She quickly hands over the items she was carrying, leaning back against the counter as Sam swallow the pills. "Thanks."
Andy just shuffles closer in response, leaning against his arm as she faces forward.
Sam mimics the posture, folding his arms as he looks down at his feet.
They stand there for a while in comfortable silence, neither willing to break it.
Until they are interrupted by the sound of Sam's stomach growling.
Andy snorts, turning to find a sheepish grin on his face. "We brought you some lunch. And cookies."
"Cookies, huh?" Sam pulls her close with her belt loops, amused. "Busy day?"
"Not as busy as yours" Andy replies, searching his eyes as she rests her palms on his chest. A somber expression replaces the one on Sam's face, causing Andy to grimace at the pain in his eyes.
She doesn't want to push him to talk about it--knows he will on his own. So she does the one thing that's always worked--she wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds him until he does the same and holds her back.
Another bout of silence follows as they both stand there, seeking comfort in the hug.
When Andy feels Sam's arms loosen around hers, she leans back and looks at him with a small smile. "So, your daughter's a budding artist."
"My daughter?" Sam grins, thankful for the change of subject. There's an edge of pride in his voice, even though he's attempting to sound surprised. "Art was never my strong suit."
"Mmmhm" Andy begins, mournfully. "More like graffiti. She decided to test out one of my red sharpies on her wall today."
Sam groans and Andy nods in agreement, before they both look at each other and chuckle. He bends down to lean his forehead against hers. "What are we gonna do with that one?"
"I told her you'll choose the punishment this time, so...better figure out something good" Andy replies, caressing his jaw as she holds him there for an extra second before letting go. "And don't think you can let her off the hook like last time, I know all about it."
Sam groans yet again, dry scrubbing his face. "It wasn't like that..." he offers weakly.
Andy gives him a stern glance, arms folded. "Right."
She receives a disarming smile in response, but she's got his number and refuses to budge. "Fine. We can choose the punishment together this time" Sam offers, unfolding her arms as he pulls her close again. "Okay, partner?"
Raising an eyebrow, Andy tries to resist, but the expression on his face, coupled with the tone he applies to "partner" makes her lips curve up involuntarily. "Yeah, okay. Fine."
Grinning triumphantly, Sam leans in for a kiss but stops halfway, quickly diverting his face as another sneeze erupts.
Shaking her head, Andy backs away, avoiding his grabby hands as she starts to head out. "I gotta go check on the kids, grab your lunch and I'll meet you back here."
"McNally" Sam calls out, making her pause mid-step.
She turns around questioningly.
He opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it back up, seemingly changing his mind. "Thank you."
Andy grins, winking before heading out. "Love you too."