Summary: More troubles and love for Simon and Andy. Sequel to Strength to Continue.

Disclaimer: The Sentinel and its characters are the property of Pet Fly Productions

To my sister, Julie, whose encouragement helped more than she knows. Love you, always. To my best friend Denise someday she'll read this and know how much her friendship means to me. A big thank you goes to Diane (DJ), without her beta skills and encouragement, this final chapter would never have made it. I'm a stubborn writer and any remaining mistakes are mine. And last but not least to Fess, without her e-mail this would never have been written.

Rating/warning: R for Romance
Category: Romance/Drama

The Start of Something New
by Robin from Florida

The crime scenes were getting worse, if that was possible. It was always the same. A child was kidnapped, a ransom note was delivered, whether it was paid or not they ended the same, a call to the police department giving them directions to the body of the child. The city was in an uproar, demanding something be done and done quickly. The entire major crimes unit had been working on the case for two months.

Ellison, with Sandburg's help was able to find clues to narrow the suspects. With this newest crime, perhaps they could discover which one.

"Anything?" Captain Banks asked his best team, trying not to look at the tarp covered body of yet another life snuffed out before it had a chance.

"Yes Sir. It's Chancellor." Ellison offered, standing up from inspecting a pile of trash not to far from the body.

"How?" The captain asked, as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He didn't doubt his detective; he just needed specifics to have the warrant issued.

"Aside from the place reeking of his cheap aftershave, didn't he wear a bracelet like this one?" Jim held up an evidence bag with a broken leather bracelet with a skull and cross bones stamped onto the dark worn leather.

Simon nodded and dialed the DA's office.

**

In the time it took them to determine Chancellor's location, another missing child report had come in. They quietly surrounded the rundown house on the outskirts of Cascade.

"How many are in there?" Banks asked the sentinel.

"Two," reported the squatting detective. His partner had his hand on his shoulder keeping him anchored, while he sent his hearing into the building.

"The faster heartbeat is under that window." He pointed to the right side front window. "The other, slower heartbeat, is towards the back of the house. Captain, we should move now."

Simon gave the signal and they rushed the building.

**

The fifth floor of the Vancouver building was the heart and soul of the Derrick Corporation. The large room held at least twenty-five desks, with low partitions, dividing the room into miniscule offices. Luckily, Andy's office was located on the floor above. She had a modest office, but it had a window and door she could close. She was hardly ever in it, but sometimes it was nice to hide in the office when things got too crazy.

Andy rose from the floor, where she had just untangled the mouse cord from the spaghetti that was the back of his computer. "Just because you're a lefty doesn't mean you can't be comfortable. Try it now."

The young man sitting in front of her guided the mouse with ease now that he could use his more dexterous left hand. "This is great, Miss. Cartwright. I didn't know you could do that."

Patting him on the shoulder, she teased, "That's why they pay me the big bucks. You'd better get to orientation before Mr. Simmons has a cow."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." The new hire jumped up and ran to the elevators.

She smiled at the retreating figure until he disappeared into the just opening elevators. "Was I like that my first day?" she grinned to herself. Just as she was turning back to her papers she had been carrying, when she spotted the frustrated young man, she recognized two men coming out of the elevator. "They don't belong here. Why were they here? How did they know where I was?" she thought to herself. They didn't look happy. Seeing the clinched jaw of the taller man and the way the shorter one wouldn't make eye contact as they approached, her stomach twisted into a knot.

Ellison quickened his pace when he heard her heart beat increase and her breathing stop.

The frightened woman looked up at Jim and spoke a single word. "Simon?"

When his only response was his jaw jumping, she looked to the younger man. "What's happened?" Blair just looked down.

Andy felt her knees buckle and her head start to swim. She reached back and found the empty chair behind her, falling gracelessly into it. "Please, don't let him be dead." She closed her eyes to the tears that threatened. "Please! I have to say I'm sorry. Please don't..."

"No," came the answer in unison as they knelt on either side of her.

"No, Andy he's not dead, but he is in surgery. We wanted to be the ones to get you," Blair said, taking one of her shaking hands.

"Come on, Andy, let's get you out of here. We'll take you to Simon. Come on," Jim encouraged, grasping her elbow.

She wobbled a little so Jim wrapped a strong arm around her. "I've got you. We talked to your boss, she knows all about it." His conversation was interrupted, when the woman in his arms suddenly stiffened.

"Oh God. Daryl," she gasped.

"We have a call into his mother. He'll be fine," Blair smoothed.

"No, you don't understand. Joan's out of town. Daryl was staying with Simon. We have to go get him. He'll be waiting for Simon to pick him up at school."

Her mind went back to last time she had seen Simon. It had been three days ago when they had a big fight, which left Andy standing in the middle of her apartment and Simon slamming the door behind him.

Blair pushed the down button, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Jim, we need to get Daryl." She turned to the smaller man. "You're his friend Blair, help him," she pleaded.

"I will. We will," he corrected.

Since the first tragic meeting between the young woman and Simon's son nothing had changed. Simon was still trying to get the two people he loved most of all, to at least be civil to each other. Andy was trying, but his son was having none of it, no matter what Simon tried. She had tried to ease the hurt by saying Daryl was too much like his father. It got a small smile from the big man, but it never reached his eyes. She ended up just holding him, trying to give him her strength when another attempt failed.

**

Andy sat quietly in the back seat of Simon's car while Jim drove them to the school. Blair spotted Daryl by the curb waiting for his father.

Jim waited in the line of cars to move up when Blair got out of the car. "Jim let me go talk to him," he said, sticking his head in the car. With a nod from Jim, he closed the door and jogged to the waiting teenager.

Jim and Andy watched Blair approach the boy. They saw him shaking his head in denial, and then Blair wrapped his arm around the boy when the tears started. Andy couldn't watch the boy's pain any longer and dropped her eyes to the kleenex she was shredding.

"What's she doing here?" the boy accused, stopping as Blair opened both side doors.

"Just get in the damn car." Jim growled.

Knowing he didn't want to piss off the detective anymore, but couldn't bear to sit next to her, Daryl huffed and got in the passenger seat.

Without looking up, Andy slid across the seat to the other side and stared out the window.

The quiet that blanketed the car was broken when Andy, without taking her eyes off the passing scenery, asked, "What happened?"

"We were arresting the guy who kidnapped all those children. We had broken through the front door but the guys around back had trouble."

Jim cursed the bunglers in the back for alerting Chancellor to their presence, without being able to stop him from running to the front of the house for his hostage.

Blair picked up the story. "Simon saw the boy huddled in the corner and went to him." He stopped to push down his fear at what happened next. "Before we could react, Chancellor had his gun aimed at the boy and fired. Simon tried to protect the boy and took the bullet in the back." He looked down at his hands. "Jim shot Chancellor."

Andy shut her eyes against a new wave of tears as she remembered how upset Simon was over the case. The way he couldn't stop thinking about the children that had been killed. Many nights, she would just hold and stroke him until he finally fell asleep.

**

They entered the hospital with Jim's strong arm supporting Andy. She had stopped her crying, but her legs were still a little shaky. Jim got her through the crowd of gathered police officers and into a chair in the waiting room and knelt down in front of her. "I'm going to see what I can find out. I'll be right back." She nodded but didn't look up.

The chair next to her was filled and a large dark hand took hers from her lap and held it warmly. "He's going to be fine. Just wait and see he's very strong. He'll make it."

She looked up at Joel when he mentioned how strong he was, thinking of the key ring she had given Simon.

Joel was surprised that she didn't have tears running down her face but he could tell she had been crying. Her face was still incredibly sad and frightened but the tears were not there.

Joel and Andy looked up when a young couple with a little boy entered the waiting area, with Blair pointing to Andy.

"Miss Cartwright?" The man asked.

"Yes."

"I'm Mike Thatcher, this is my wife, Cindy."

She looked at the exhausted man standing in front of her and tried to push away her fear so that she could understand what he was saying.

"This is my son, Tommy."

"Tommy?" She was still confused as to why these people were talking to her. The police officers around her had not asked them to leave but instead just watched.

"Yes, Tommy." The woman spoke softy. "My son. My son, Tommy, who your boyfriend risked his own life to save."

Andy looked up at the wife and saw the way the husband held her in one arm and had the other hand on his son's shoulder. The wife had her arms the same way. Andy's eyes lowered to the small boy standing in front of her. "Tommy," she whispered. She slid to the floor landing on her knees so she was the same height as the seven year old. She smiled. "Tommy, I'm Andy. How are you doing?" she asked, extending her hand.

She thought for sure he would shy away from her after all he had been through but he took her hand and gave it a little shake. "Captain Banks is a big man."

"Yes, he's very big," she agreed, a bit confused.

"He's kind of heavy too," he remembered the big man throwing himself on him when two loud bangs ending all the shouting.

Andy just nodded her agreement.

"My Mommy and Daddy said he was hurt real bad but that he's going to be okay."

"Yes, he will," she said with more conviction then she felt.

"Okay," he said knowing it had to be true if everyone felt the same way. "Good bye," he said.

"Good bye, Tommy. Give your Mommy and Daddy a big hug and kiss for me." She smiled at the little man, giving his hair a little tousle.

She suddenly found her arms full of the seven year old, with his arms tight around her neck. She returned the hug, with her eyes closed to the tears that were trying to escape.

"Tell him thank you for me." As quickly as it had started, the hug ended.

She cleared her throat before trying to speak. "I will, Tommy. I will."

"Okay, bye." He gave her a wave and led his parents out of the waiting room.

Daryl had witnessed the conversation from his seat across the room. He wished he could feel as confident as she was about his dad being okay.

Lost in her thoughts about her life with Simon she didn't see the nurse until she was standing in front of her. "Are you Miss Cartwright?"

"Yes."

"Maybe you should hold these." She handed her a baggie holding Simon's cell phone, wallet, badge, key ring and some loose change.

"Thank you," she said, looking at Jim putting Simon's gun in his coat pocket. The nurse left. Andy looked across the room and found Blair quietly talking to a very distraught Daryl. She had to fight the desire to cross the room and gather him into her arms and hold on. She turned to the bag in her hand, wanting to lose her urge to hold Simon's son.

She opened the bag and removed the key ring, then got the wallet out and opened it. She was looking for a piece of paper she remembered him tucking into his wallet.

Just as her fingers found it, the bag and wallet were torn from her hands. "I'll watch my Dad's stuff," the angry young man announced. "I'm his only family here." He huffed and went back to his seat across the room.

Blair was out of his seat and crossing the room to stop Ellison from ringing the boy's neck.

"Don't Jim, it will only make things worse," Blair smoothed.

"What did she ever do to him, to make him so angry with her?" The sentinel questioned, looking at the woman struggling valiantly not to show how upset she was.

"She loves Simon," was Sandburg's only answer.

Jim continued to watch Andy as she struggled to calm herself down. After a deep breath, she unfolded the sheet of paper, and dug in her handbag to produce her cell phone. She dialed a number on the paper and cleared her throat. "Hello. My name is Andrea Cartwright and I would like room," she consulted the paper again, "room 345 please." She waited for the phone to answer. "Yes, I would. I would like to leave a message for Miss Joan Banks, it's regarding..." she listened. "Oh, okay. Thanks, sorry to have bothered you." She pushed the off button and looked at the paper again shaking her head, then started to dial. Taking another deep breath she answered. "Hello. Is a Miss Joan Banks registered there?" There was a pause then, "Good. Could you ring her room? Thank you." There was another pause then, "Yes, I would like to leave a message. Tell her," she paused to think of the right words. "Tell her Daryl is fine but Simon has been hurt. Tell her she can reach Daryl at home, or at 555-9875. Thanks. Oh, it's Andrea Cartwright, no wait; maybe you should make it Jim Ellison. Yes, that would be better. Thank you. Bye." She hung up the phone and looked out the small window, closing her eyes against the strain of keeping her fears under control.

Jim shook his head. He wondered why this woman would put up with so much hostility from Simon's ex-wife and son, when he realized that Blair had already answered that. She loves him. He watched as the woman looked out the window and rubbed the key chain sitting in her lap.

An hour later, a doctor in green scrubs came into the waiting room. His arrival had everyone standing to hear the news of the captain.

"Relax everyone, he's going to be fine. We got the bullet out of his shoulder. He is in recovery and will probably sleep through the night. Go home, all of you. He's going to be fine." After a collective sigh of relief, the doctor turned to the young man he suspected was the son. "I'll send someone to come get you when you can see him, okay?"

The young man answered, "Yes, sir. Thank you." Blair guided Daryl back to a chair, to sit and wait.

Jim turned towards Andy, only to find the woman standing in the middle of the room with the key chain in a white knuckled fist. She started to sway. Before Jim could take a step towards her, she was running past him to the bathroom down the hall. He followed her into the woman's bathroom wanting to make sure she was all right.

After the heaves had stopped, he heard her slump to the floor.

"Andy?" he asked.

That's when he heard the heart breaking sobs of the woman who hadn't cried in front of Simon's co-workers or son.

He gently helped her to her feet and guided her to the divan next to the door. She wrapped her arm around his waist, leaving an imprint of the key chain on his back. The other hand fisted, in his shirt covering his chest, as she wept.

He held the woman that had kept her emotions in check until she knew Simon would be all right. Her strength ebbed and he was grateful to be able to give this woman comfort where none would be enough.

When the sobs had changed to sniffles, he dared to suggest. "Come on Andy, let's get you cleaned up. Okay?"

"Kay," came a muffled reply.

He led her to the row of sinks and washed her face.

"Sorry about your shirt." She tried to smooth her handprint off the front of his shirt.

"Don't worry about it; glad I was here to help." He kissed her forehead.

"Me too." She gave him a quick hug. "Let's get out of here."

Most of the police officers had left. Only Joel, Blair and Jim stayed to wait with Daryl and Andy. As promised, Daryl was shown to his father's side. Andy was not allowed to see him since she was not family. Ellison was going to fight it, but Andy refused to make a fuss. She was tired, and knowing that Daryl had seen his father was enough.

"Joel, can you take Andy to Simon's car?" Ellison asked the black man standing near the door.

"Sure, Jim. Come on Andy, let's get you home," Joel stated, grasping her elbow.

Jim stopped Daryl from following, keeping him in the waiting room until Joel and Andy were out of earshot.

Sitting Daryl back in his chair, Ellison loomed over him. "You have two choices. First, you can come home with me and Blair and spend the night on the couch." Jim looked over and found Blair about to interrupt, probably going to offer his bed to the youth. A glare from him got the grad student to remain quiet. "Or you can go to your father's house with Andy and wait for your mother to call. It's your choice, but so help me if you give Andy a hard time, you will live to regret it." He knew that if Daryl gave Andy a hard time she would never tell, but he wasn't going to let him know. He crossed his arms to wait for the choice to be made.

"I can't bear to be with her. She's not even upset that my dad's hurt. How can she say she loves him when she doesn't even cry?"

"Who says she doesn't cry?" Jim opened his leather jacket to reveal his green shirt with a large dark green, wrinkled, wet spot spread across his chest and stomach. "She just didn't want to embarrass you or Simon by crying in front of his co-workers."

The youth was quiet, taking in the state of Jim's shirt and the size of the wet spot. Maybe he was wrong about his dad's squeeze. Realizing the looming detective was still waiting for an answer he asked. "Can Blair stay with us?" "No. Blair has an early morning class and needs his sleep."

Blair's eyebrow shot up at the blatant lie, Jim was telling. He quickly stamped it down, realizing what his partner was doing.

"Oh." The teen thought some more. "Mom will be very upset if she has trouble finding me. I'd better go to Dad's house."

Even though he hadn't mentioned having to be with Andy, Jim was satisfied. "All right then, let's go."

**

Andy found herself in Simon's house alone with Daryl, a situation she swore would never happen again. At least this time she was wearing her own clothes.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, hanging up her coat.

"No," came the reply, as the phone started to ring.

She watched the boy run to the phone, throwing his coat at the hook by the door. She picked it up and placed it on the missed hook and waited, so the boy could talk to his mother in private.

She slowly walked into the kitchen after she overheard the boy begging his mother to try to get here before tomorrow.

"All right. (Pause) Yes, Andy's with me. (Pause) Yes, I got to see him. He was sleeping and didn't wake up. The doctor said he would be fine in the morning. (Pause) Yes I will, but hurry if you can. (Pause) All right. I love you too, Mom. (Pause) Okay, bye." He hung up the phone, and slouched over to the kitchen table.

Andy got the fixings for sandwiches and started to make them each a sandwich; trying to keep busy while the young man processed the day's events and the phone call.

"Here, eat this." She slid a plate in front of the boy.

"I said I wasn't hungry."

"I know, but your father will be mad at me if I let you go hungry. Try to eat just a little."

Seeing his favorite sandwich with chips and the feel of his empty stomach, Daryl decided that eating was not such a bad idea.

Daryl ate in silence while Andy nibbled, until she asked, "Who do I call at your school to let them know you won't be in?"

"School?" Dragging his thoughts to the present. "Oh, school. No, I can't miss school. I have a geography test. I can't miss it."

"I'm sure they will make arrangements for you."

"NO! No. I want to go to school tomorrow. I want things to go back to being normal." He got up and went into his room, shutting the door behind him.

**

The next morning found Andy in the office of Daryl's school. She was arguing with a stubborn assistant who would not allow Daryl to take Andy's cell phone with him to class. She wanted him to have a way of contacting his father or to get a call from his mother without having to find a pay phone. She wanted to have this conversation over with, so Ellison and Sandburg could give her a ride to the hospital.

The large detective and his partner showed up moments later, after Jim overheard the trouble from the car. He flashed his badge and got the principal involved. After a short discussion about how the Police Chief would look kindly on the principal making this one exception, the principal gave Daryl a note for his teachers. The boy gave Andy a quick hug and went to his classes.

Ellison folded his arms across his chest and had such a smug look on his face, Blair had to turn and walk away. It would be a long time before he heard the end of this.

**

The doctor was examining Simon, so they were forced to wait to see him. While they waited, they noticed that Andy got increasingly nervous.

"It will be all right. The argument is probably forgotten. Andy," Blair touched the balled hands in her lap. "He probably just wants to see you."

"I hope so. I hope so." She shook her bowed head.

The doctor allowed them to enter. "Come on," Blair urged, tugging on her elbow.

"Give me a minute," she asked, not moving from her seat.

"All right, but just a minute." He smiled, as he followed Jim into their boss' room.

Hearing Simon's strong voice galvanized her strength. She slowly rose and entered the room stopping in the doorway.

Simon was propped up in the bed with his right arm in a sling and white bandages sticking out of his hospital gown where they wrapped his wounded shoulder.

There was a rack of monitors on the wall at the end of his bed and Blair and Jim were on his left side. Simon and Andy's eyes met as she slowly entered. She stopped when she reached the rack of monitors.

Andy watched his expression change from relief, to annoyance, to anger; in the few steps it took her to reach the foot of his bed. She knew it. She just knew he would still be upset about the fight.

"You would let a stupid fight keep you from my side? You couldn't be bothered to stay with me? Be there for me when I woke up? Be here when I really needed you? When I was fighting for my life. Isn't that pretty petty of you Miss Cartwright," Simon fumed.

"Simon, stop this right now." Jim growled.

"She was caring for your son. Don't you remember? Joan wasn't around," Blair reminded.

As if on cue, Joan burst into the hospital room, dragging a frightened Daryl behind her.

"How could you? How could make my son go to school when he was worried about his father? Are you trying to drive them apart?" Joan hissed.

The last words stabbed Andy in the heart.

Joan threw Andy's cell phone on the floor at Andy's feet, where it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "You bitch!" With that, Joan slapped Andy across the face.

With the impact of the slap, Andy's head swung to the left, catching the monitor rack and sending it crashing to the ground. Andy ended up on her hands and knees with the force of the blow. Jim grabbed the mad woman so she couldn't take another swing at his downed friend.

Blair went to his knees to help her. Andy flinched away when he touched her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" She struggled to her feet with only one hand. The other was placed firmly against her cheek. "Leave me alone!" She ran out of the room. Blair tried to follow her, but was blocked by the nurses running into the room to find out what the crash was about.

By the time Blair made it to the hallway she was gone.

**

Blair caught Jim's eye when he got back to the room. He found Daryl crying hysterically on the bed in his father's arms. Joan was scowling in a chair Jim had thrown her into. Blair could see that Jim was barely holding his anger in check.

"First of all," Blair took a calming breath and continued, "Andy was giving your son comfort last night when he had no parent to turn to. Second, they wouldn't let her in to see you since she wasn't family." He noticed Daryl nodding against his father's chest.

"Dad, she didn't make me go to school. I wanted to. She kept trying to talk me out of it. She said the school would make a special arrangement for my test. I told her I was ready for the test and just wanted to get it over with."

Simon remembered the evenings he and Daryl had spent studying for the test.

"She fought with the school to let me take her cell phone with me, just in case you or Mom wanted to get a hold of me. She said it would make me feel better if I could call you between classes, if I started to worry about you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of her cards. Her business beeper number was on the front. All the numbers he would need to contact Blair or the hospital were written on the back. "She wanted to make sure I was okay. Dad, please don't be mad at her. Please, Dad." He started crying again.

"I've got to go after her." Simon tried to get up but shooting pain in his shoulder and the weight of his son stopped him from getting far.

"We'll go after her, won't we, Jim?" Tugging on the big man's arm to get him moving, Blair wanted to get his partner away from them before he said something he might later regret.

"We'll go after her, but I don't think she wants to be anywhere near you people. She's tried so hard to fit in and all you've done is tried to break her. But you know what? She's stronger then that. She loves you. And what do you do to repay that? You yell and scream at her." He looked at Joan. "Or get physical with her and destroy her property." He clinched his jaw. "She deserves a hell of a lot more out of this family. You'd better decide what you want because she's a smart woman and won't take this shit for long." With a final shake of his head in disgust he followed Blair out of the room.

**

She wasn't at the office, or Simon's place. They had left message after message for her to call them but had not heard a peep. They went to her house, only to find the beeper on the counter and Bessie missing.

"Simon, where would she go?" Jim asked on the cell phone to Simon's hospital room.

"I don't know." He thought a moment then, "the cabin" looking hopeful. "Maybe she went to the cabin; she really likes the mountains." Simon hung up the phone and swung his legs over the side of the bed and started for the closet.

"Whoa, Dad where do you thing you're going?" Daryl asked, holding his father around the waist.

"I'm going to find her and beg her to forgive me for being such a fool. I promised her I would listen to her. I promised." He made it to the closet and got his clothes out.

"Then I'll drive you," Joan volunteered. "I have some apologizing to do too."

**

It was dusk and starting to get cold. Andy pulled the comforter over her head, leaving only her face exposed to the night air. Just a couple more hours till sunrise; I would give anything for one more sunrise with him. Anything. Her face and head were aching and her body was starting to shiver. She should go in and lay down in Bessie but she didn't want to miss the sunrise. She always felt rejuvenated somehow when she watched the sun wake the world. Especially, when the sunrise was over the mountains. Mountains, that were still breathtaking to the Florida woman. She could never get enough of watching the mountains. So intent on staying awake and trying to stay warm she didn't notice two men coming around the side of the cabin.

"Andy?" Jim signaled for Blair to stay back, not wanting to frighten the woman any more than necessary.

"Andy, it's me, Jim. Are you all right?" he questioned, as he rounded the cabin and stopped in front of the woman huddled on the stairs leading to the side porch. She was slumped against the railing.

When a pair of jean-covered legs blocked her view of the darkening mountains, she looked up. "You're blocking my view," she slurred, dropping her eyes to the view of the legs again.

Jim stepped to her left out of her line of sight. He didn't like the way she looked at him. Like she was in a trance. Her heart rate was slow and her temperature was low.

"Andy, let's get you inside and warmed up. Shall we?" He looked at his partner.

Blair nodded his understanding and climbed up onto the porch and went to the side door. "Jim, the door's locked."

"I don't have a key. That's why I brought Bessie," she spoke in a hush.

"Andy..." the detective squatted next to the bundle on the stairs, "we need to get you warm."

"Jim, have you ever been lost? Afraid of what will happen next, but somehow knowing that you'll be okay in the end? That you'll make it if you just hang on a little longer?" Her eyes slowly looked at the man next to her.

The hurt and sadness in her eyes broke his heart. He just wanted to fold her into his arms and keep her safe.

Her expression changed to puzzlement when he didn't answer her question. "I guess I'm just being foolish." She looked away, not wanting to add to her embarrassment.

Jim pushed his feelings away when he realized she had asked him a question. The sentinel remembered the lost feeling he had experienced when his heightened senses came back on line. He looked at the young man standing at the side door and remembered how Blair had helped him with his senses and how he had fought with the grad student about the tests and questions. How he managed to hang on long enough to get his senses under control. "Yes, Andy, I have felt lost and afraid," he admitted.

Her eyes met his again. She tried to decide if he was lying to her or not. She found only truth in the eyes of her friend.

"But Blair was there for me. He helped me when I needed it most." He looked up at his partner to make sure he'd heard him. The sentinel saw the blush creep over his friend's face and heard the increase in his heartbeat. Yep, he'd heard. Turning back to Andy, he found she had returned to looking out over the darkened mountains. "Andy, let's get you inside. Come on." He reached for her.

"No. I want to see the sunrise. I want to see one more," she mumbled, moving away from the hands reaching for her.

"Andy?" Came a deep voice from a dark man coming towards them.

When her dull brain recognized the voice, she shot to her feet and swayed dangerously. With one hand still holding the comforter under her chin, the other hand grabbed the railing to stop from pitching forward. She used her death grip on the railing to turn herself around, putting the rail between her and the approaching father and son. Jim stood behind her ready to protect her.

Simon made himself look away from the sight of a frightened Andy and a protective sentinel. He noticed Blair standing on the porch and threw his keys to the young man. Blair got the door open and went in to get the lights on and start a fire. "Daryl, go with Sandburg."

Simon turned back to Andy and took a small step towards her. "Andy? Let me explain. Please." Before he could get any closer, Joan came barreling around the corner and stopped next to her ex-husband.

Shaking her head, Andy took a step back in the face of the two people that had hurt her a few hours earlier. "No." She bumped into Jim. She looked up at the man behind her and whispered, "Jim." Her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed.

Jim caught her before she hit the ground. He got his left arm under her legs and lifted her with ease. "Sandburg! Get some blankets! She's freezing!" he yelled, as he ascended the stairs to the cabin. He crossed the cabin and laid his burden gently on the couch. As he was laying her head back onto the couch, the comforter fell away from her face revealing a large gauze bandage covering her left cheek.

Simon, seeing the bandage, reached around Jim and pulled it off. He wanted to see the damage his ex-wife had done.

Joan gasped when a large angry gash along her cheekbone was revealed. The gash was closed with three butterfly bandages.

Simon sank to the couch. "Jesus, what have I done?"

Seeing the pain in her ex-husband's eyes, Joan knew she was intruding and would only make things worse when Andy woke. "Simon, I think I should leave." Turning to her son, "Daryl, let's go."

"I'd like to stay if I could? Dad?" The boy looked at his father with pleading eyes.

Barely sparing a glance at his son, he answered. "As long as it's okay with your mother."

Knowing her son and ex-husband had a lot to discuss, Joan kissed her son and left.

Turning back after watching his mother leave, he found his father still sitting on the couch stroking Andy's face. Jim was adding wood to the fire while Blair brewed a pot of coffee.

Blair knew Jim and Simon had to discuss some things so he gestured for Daryl to join him in the kitchen.

"Jim?"

Ellison turned from the fire to see Simon looking at him from his place on the couch. "Yes?"

Taking a deep breath, Simon started. "Jim, I know Andy is special to you. She's also very special to me. Please know I wouldn't do anything to hurt her." Looking down at Andy, he mumbled, "Never on purpose." Looking back at his detective he continued. "I was in pain. She has always been there for me and I thought she had abandoned me. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just couldn't face the possibility." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Jim." He turned to look down at Andy again.

Ellison had never seen his captain like this. The sorrow, the pain; but through it he saw the love his captain had for the woman laid out on the couch. "You need to apologize to her, not me." He crossed the room and gently patted his friend's shoulder.

**

"I'm worried about her, Dad."

"It's all right, son. When she wakes up we'll explain everything. She's a good listener. She'll understand."

"I like her, Dad."

"Like her? You've barely spoken to the woman."

"We talked a lot last night." Daryl sat in one of the chairs next to his father at the kitchen table. "Actually," Daryl frowned at the memory, "She did most of the talking." He hung his head. "I was mostly crying."

"It's all right, Daryl. You were scared. It's..."

"I know, Dad." He reached over and patted his dad's hand. "She said she knew how I was feeling. That she knew how sad, and alone I felt. She said she felt the same way when her mother died. I believed her." He took a breath and continued. "She kept telling me how brave I was in the hospital, that I reminded her of you, with my bravery. When I told her I wasn't feeling very brave, she just squeezed me tighter." Shaking his bowed head. "She didn't laugh at me."

Simon returned the hand petting his son had done earlier. "No, she wouldn't do that."

"She admitted that she was scared too and asked if it was okay if we just held each other until we both felt better. After that we didn't talk much. She just held me and rubbed my back, just like you and Mom do when I'm sick or feeling bad."

The big captain had to smile at the mental picture he had created with the two of them holding each other.

"You remember the old blue bear fur you have?"

"Yes I do." The captain wondered why his son was asking. "What about it?"

"Well, when we woke up it was covering both of us. When I asked her why, she just smiled and said you were watching out for us. I don't understand."

"That's okay, Daryl. I do." He smiled, trying valiantly not to let the tears show.

Returning from making tea for everyone, hot chocolate for Daryl, Blair asked, "What was the fight about? She said you and she had a big fight and that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to say how sorry she was."

The captain couldn't look up. "I wanted her to move in with me."

"Why would you fight about something like that?" Jim asked, moving from the fireplace to sit at the kitchen table with the others.

"She said that she wouldn't move in with me."

"What?" Came a startled reply from both Blair and Jim.

"She loves you very much. How could she not want to move in with you?" the confused teaching fellow asked.

"I didn't say she didn't want to move in with me. She just said that she wouldn't."

"Why not?" Daryl asked, knowing the answer. "Because of me?"

"Yes, she said, she would never intrude into our home."

"Intrude?" Daryl asked.

"Her most important wish was that her loving me would never come between father and son. That's why your coming home unexpectedly was so devastating to her. She never wanted to come between us. Never. Even if it meant that we had to live apart."

"Dad, she's right. I would have been very upset if she moved in with us. Trying to replace Mom." He hurried on, so his father wouldn't interrupt. "But not now. Not after how I saw the way she loves you. You're her life, Dad. She went to pieces when we were alone."

Simon had to hug his son, the son that was caring and loving and getting way too old for his liking.

"Please convince her to move in with us. It would be nice to have her around to talk to."

"I'll try, Daryl. I'll try." He gave his son another squeeze, trying again to stop the threatening tears.

"So," Jim said, looking over to the couch, "Andy..." He had heard her change of breathing and her heartbeat increase when she woke up a couple of minutes ago. "Will you move in with them?"

"Yes," came a simple reply from the unseen woman.

"Dee?" Simon jumped up and went to the couch. He sank to his knees when he saw the tear streaked face of the woman he thought he had lost forever. The huge smile and bright eyes that greeted him were all he needed to know that he'd lost nothing. He also saw fear in those eyes and reached out to comfort her, although he didn't know why she would be afraid.

"You're okay?" she questioned, raising her hand to touch the face of a man she had thought she would never see again. All the fears from the last two days hit her. "You're okay," she repeated, trying to get her heart to believe again. "You're okay."

He leaned over and drew her to him with his good arm. "I'm fine, Dee, I'm going to be just fine. Now."

Her arms went around him and her hands fisted into his shirt. She started shaking with the force of her crying. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd lost you." She kept repeating when her sobs would allow it.

Realizing that this was the first time she had seen him outside of a hospital room. His heart bled from the fear she must have been feeling, a fear that had been made much worse due to his carelessness and his ex-wife's anger.

"Never lost, Dee, only separated from." He said the words she had spoken to him so long ago. He sat on the edge of the couch and rocked her back and forth trying to ease the pain of his lover. "Shhh. I'm okay. Shhh. It's going to be all right. I'm okay," he smoothed, until she suddenly went limp in his arms. "Dee? Andy!" The captain started to panic at the unresponsive woman he was lowering to the couch.

Before he could panic further Ellison was by his side. "It's okay, Sir. She's just sleeping. She's just tired and sick." He placed his hand on her forehead to gauge how hot she was. "Being out in the cold and not eating for two days plus all the worrying have worn her out." Looking at his partner, "We need to get her to eat something, maybe some soup?" He looked back at his captain when he saw Blair crossing to the kitchen to start cooking, "Simon, she's going to be okay. She just needs some rest."

Simon just nodded, not taking his eyes off the still form beneath him, his hand brushing the hair from her face.

**

The second moan from the couch got Jim to go into the living room. "Simon, what's wrong?"

"Nothing just trying to get comfortable."

Simon's good arm was around her shoulders, keeping her tightly against his chest. Her weight was pushing his upper body into the couch. Normally it would not have bothered him but the bullet hole in his shoulder was not happy about the extra strain.

"Why don't we lay her down but rest her head on your leg," Jim suggested. He saw his captain shake his head and tighten his grip on the woman in his arms.

"All right then, I guess we just have to relocate you both." Without another word, the sentinel scooped the sleeping woman into his arms and headed to the bedroom. "Come on Simon, you need your rest too."

**

Jim waited for Simon to get into bed. "Simon, at least take off your pants and shoes. It's going to be a long night and you need to get some sleep."

Simon grunted but complied with Jim's instructions. Once the captain was comfortably lying in the bed, Jim leaned over him and placed Andy onto the bed, gently laying her head on Simon's good shoulder. The captain quickly gathered her close.

"Her fever's broken." Ellison reached down and pulled the blankets over the two lovers. "Good night, Simon. If you need anything just say so, I'll hear you." With a small nod, he shut off the light and closed the door.

**

The feel of a hand clenching his shirt woke the captain. The grip became almost painful when the moaning and thrashing started.

"NO! No, Simon. I wanted to..." the sentence ended with a whimper.

"Shhh. It's okay, Dee." The large man gave her a reassuring squeeze, and then started making slow circles on her back, trying to give comfort to a woman in the midst of a nightmare.

"Please, let me explain. Simon?" she gasped and her hand flew to her face, covering the gash. Her eyes shot open, looking around the room trying to discover where she was.

"You're okay, Dee. You're safe." He tried to use his voice to reassure his frightened lover.

"Simon?" She saw his dark hand protruding from the sling and slowly reached out to caress it.

He saw what she was doing and gently wrapped his fingers around her small hand.

"Simon?" She lifted her head from her warm Simon pillow and looked up at the man holding her.

When their eyes met Simon could see her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry, Simon." Before she could continue, he released her hand and pressed his forefinger over her trembling lips.

"Shhh. It's my fault. I should have let you explain. I should have listened to you like I promised I would." His finger left her lips and drifted to her chin to raise it enough for him to kiss her. The kiss quickly went from gentle to desperate, both trying to comfort the other.

The passion they shared in their kisses soon wore them out. They fell asleep, hands and legs intertwined, as their hearts already were.

**

A little before sunrise, Simon's eyes popped open. The constant ache in his shoulder kept his sleep light at best. He could smell coffee and could hear someone moving around in the kitchen. For a few minutes he just enjoyed the smell, sounds, and the feel of contentment. He gave the woman in his arms a small squeeze. "Jim, could you do me a big favor?" he asked the empty room in a quiet voice.

Moments later Simon heard a soft knock on the door. "Come."

The door opened, revealing Jim standing in the doorway. "Jim, I would like to take Andy outside to lay on one of the lounges. Could you help me?"

Jim smiled when he realized what Simon was trying to do. "Sure Simon, but wait a minute. Let me get things ready. Okay?"

Simon nodded. A few moments later he could hear Jim moving around the cabin, and the closet door open and close. The side door opened and closed. He could barely make out the sound of one of the wooden lounge chairs being dragged off the porch. Moments later, Jim reappeared in the doorway with a thick blanket in his hands. He went around the bed, knelt on it, while spreading the blanket over Andy. Simon carefully slid out from under her to sit on the side of the bed to pull his pants on.

"Give me a second, Jim," Simon said, disappearing into the bathroom.

Jim continued to wrap Andy in the blanket he brought in and the blankets from the bed.

Simon returned. "Okay, Jim. Whenever you're ready."

Effortlessly, the detective swept the bundle known as Andy into his arms and followed Simon out of the cabin.

The captain could see the lounge sitting on the lawn with a small lantern sitting next to it. The lounge was covered with two thick blankets and a pillow. Simon started to pick up the edge of the blanket that was draped over the lounge and was lying on the ground. "Don't Simon. Just lie down on the lounge and get comfortable."

"Okay. All right. I really appreciate this," he said, looking up at his friend.

"Just returning one of the many favors I owe you, Sir." The sentinel set his bundle next to the captain in the same position he had placed her the night before.

Giving Simon a minute to get settled, Ellison picked up the trailing edges of the blankets and effectively cocooned the two together. "Are you warm enough or should I get another blanket?"

"No this is fine. It's perfect. Thanks."

Jim nodded. "Sandburg and I are going fishing in a couple of hours, I'll bring you some coffee when we leave. Try to get some more rest." With that the sentinel left.

**

The sun's rays were just spreading across the tips of the mountains.

Simon gave the bundle next to him a small shake. "Come on honey, wake up or you'll miss it." He gently shook her again. "Dee?" The blankets moved a little.

"Hummmmm?"

"Come on sweetie, wake up. You're going to miss it. Just open your eyes."

"Simon?" mumbled the blankets next to him. Andy slowly opened her eyes to the view she had come to love. The sun was slowing waking the world with its gentle rays. Birds could be heard waking, as the dark started to give way to a new day.

"I thought we would never see another one together." She started to cry. "I just sat on the steps and prayed for one more. Just one more with you." She fisted her hand in the shirt covering his waist.

"Shhh, we have hundreds left." He kissed her head, holding her tightly.

"Dad?"

He felt Andy stiffen and pull away as much as she could given their current position. "Yes?"

"Can I go fishing with Jim and Blair?" Daryl asked excitedly.

He smiled. "Sure son, be careful." His son hadn't grown up completely.

"Thanks Dad," he said over his shoulder heading back to the cabin. He stopped after only a few steps then turned back. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Daryl."

"You too," he searched for a special name, "Aunt Dee." He turned and ran to the cabin.

Curious about the name, looking at Andy and asked, "Aunt?" Her eyes were wide with surprise then they filled with new tears.

"I told Daryl that I didn't want to replace or be his mother. I never had children and would probably get it all wrong. The closest I've come to being a parent figure is with my niece, Leah, we have a very special relationship. It killed me to leave her. But we talk all the time. She's the greatest. Being Leah's special aunt is the next best thing." Tears filled her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, bending down to place a kiss on her lips.

After the kiss ended, she said, "You know that this is how it all started, Simon. You and me wrapped up in a blanket, watching the sunrise over the mountains. I think I fell in love with you then."

"Then it's a good place to start anew."

"Anew?"

"Yes. Can you reach into the sling?"

She released his waist and slid her hand into the sling holding his arm. She gently ran her hand along his arm when her fingers touched a small box. Pulling it out, she found a black velvet box. He untangled his good arm to help her open it. In the box was a simple ring. He knew she didn't wear fancy jewelry. The stone was recessed so it wouldn't catch on anything.

"Marry me?"

"Yes."

THE END