The next couple of days passed in a blur for Andy, she remained in hospital, doing her physical therapy each day, sitting unaided for long periods, getting in and out of the wheelchair, still with a little help but it was all progress. And every day Robert would appear at some point. He even came on a visit with the rest of the crew when they were on duty as he was missing her and knew the only way to see her was to make it in to a crew outing so as not to raise suspicions. And each day as Andy felt physically stronger she also felt something else too. Something she had never felt before. Some strange kind of desire which she felt whenever Robert was near her and made her miss him whenever he wasn't. She couldn't get enough of the man and couldn't wait to get out the hospital so that they could have more privacy and explore their new found relationship that much more. Andy was beginning to think that this must be what love felt like.

1 week after they had first kissed Andy was told that she could go home the following day. She was healed enough to not need hospital care now but she was still in pain and with her arm and leg still in cast she wasn't anything like fully healed yet and would need looking after. Maya and her Dad had practically had a full blown argument about who was going to look after her when she was discharged. They had stood either side of the bed and Andy had felt like she was watching a tennis match as she moved her head back and forth between the 2 as they volleyed arguments for being her carer across her bed. Andy sighed and stayed quiet. Robert had already agreed to fetch her from the hospital the next day and take her to Maya's where she had only just moved before the accident, but she didn't tell them that. They had already planned on him visiting her whenever Maya was out, but again she didn't tell them that. Instead she shut her eyes and slipped off into a lovely dream of Robert wearing nothing but a smile and the argument faded away.

Unbeknown to Andy, she was currently the subject of a heated discussion between the man of her dreams Robert and his friend Chief Lucas Ripley. Robert had called him to come over as he needed some advice from the man who was once his closest friend. Even though they had drifted apart after Claire died, he still valued his opinion and he needed help now that the situation with Andy was getting more serious. Robert was now pacing back and forth in his office as Lucas sat in a chair, his eyes focused on his friend.

"I only told you about Andy because I thought you would be pleased for me." Robert exclaimed trying to keep his voice calm.

"Robert, I am happy for you. You know nothing would make me happier than you moving on and finding love, but why do you have to do it with your subordinate? Why do you have to make everything messy? She's a lovely girl but Robert, she's Pruitt's daughter and she's your Lieutenant. This cannot happen in any universe."

"There has to be a way around it. I feel for her, things I never thought I would feel again. She makes me feel alive Lucas. I can't just shut that off because of who or what she is."

"I know, I know." Said Lucas sighing and rubbing his hand across his face. "The only thing you can do, is one of you has to move station or you get married."

"We don't have to do anything yet. It's early days. We are only just getting to know each other."

"Robert, you've told me now, I can't just ignore it forever. It's messy, people will find out, it's a matter of time. Nothing stays a secret in a firehouse you know this. And if there are no secrets to find then people make them up instead. That's just what it's like. Your secret will be found out in minutes. As soon as someone notices a look between you or you show her more leniency than another firefighter, or you leap into a burning building because you think she needs your help. It will come out Robert and you need to be ahead of the game. You either have to choose one of the options I just said or you have to end things now before you hurt her even more."

"What you think me ending things now will be good for her? When she's been lying in a hospital bed for the past couple of weeks. I can't do that and I can't work with her knowing I can't be with her. It would kill me."

"Robert I don't know what you want from me. You're a Captain, your priority at work is to be a Captain. Your personal life cannot get in the way of that and I won't let it. I'm your friend, which is why I'm not going to report this. Yet. I'm going to give you time to figure it out. But you have to make a decision, do you choose Andy or your job. It's that simple."

Andy had woken the next day in a really good mood. This was the happiest she had felt in a while. Sure Robert confessing his feelings for her and seeing him all the time had made her feel happy, but she had still been stuck in hospital and that was enough to put a dampener on any happy feelings she had. Today though, she was finally going home. She had managed to shuffle herself into the wheelchair after breakfast, pleased with herself for being able to manoeuvre herself around without assistance and now she sat waiting for Robert to be her escort home. He was supposed to arrive at 10 and it was now 10 minutes past but she would let him off being late, traffic was usually terrible in the mornings so it was no wonder he wasn't there yet. She sent him a quick text asking if he was stuck in traffic. 10 minutes later there was still no reply.

She felt her good mood ebbing away with each second that passed until eventually the door started to open and she allowed her smile back on her face.

"Finally," she exclaimed, 'I thought you had got lost....."

"I know traffic was awful Mija," Her father complained. "I did tell Bishop we should have set off earlier."

"Yes you did Captain," Maya answered back through gritted teeth, "But then you also weren't ready when I came for you this morning. So that's why we're late."

Andy looked confused as she stared between the two. Why were they here? Where was Robert?

"What's going on? Captain Sullivan said he was fetching me." Andy finally mumbled.

"Yeah he was but he sent me a text last night saying something had come up and I had to fetch you instead." Pruitt said in a matter of fact way.

"Why?"

"Why what Mija?"

"Why can't he fetch me?"

Pruitt gave Andy a strange look. "How do I know. I'm not his keeper. You should be grateful you have me and Bishop instead."

"You definitely should," Maya interjected. "Sullivan has been in a right funny mood. Made me up to Lieutenant on a call and then shouted at me and went back in charge himself. It was my first time, I don't know what he expected of me."

"He said he was fetching me though."

"He's a man Andy, they say a lot of things they don't mean."

Pruitt glared at Bishop. "As the only man in the room I resent that comment Bishop."

Maya rolled her eyes and then turned her attention back to Andy.

"You ready to go then, Casa de Maya and Andy is all ready and waiting for you."

"I really wish you would come back to my house Mija, I can take much better care of you."

"Dad I live at Maya's now, I'll be fine there, let's just go, I've had enough of this hospital to last me a lifetime."

As Maya pushed her down the corridor towards freedom, Andy found she couldn't enjoy it as much as she thought she was going to. Robert still hadn't answered her text and he hadn't come for her today like he said he would. She had a horrible feeling he was ghosting her but she didn't know why and in her current state it wasn't like she could pop round to see him to ask him why. She was stuck, her mind going back and forth replaying their last conversation, just trying to remember if she had upset him in anyway. Why was everything so complicated. This is what happened when you allowed yourself to fall in love.