Yes I'm writing another Baird and Sam fic. I just can't help myself.

Azura – Six weeks after the end of the locust war.

The sun was just coming up when Sam woke up. The light was streaming through the gap in the curtains, hurting her eyes a bit. She was still getting used to the fact that there was no locust or lambent to get up and fight these days. It had only been six weeks, but they felt like the longest six weeks of her life. She felt a strange kind of peace. It was strange because she wasn't used to peace. "So this is what it feels like" Sam looked at the clock. It was only 0500 hours but she didn't want to stay in and sleep today. Even if it was technically a day off. "Never used to get those" She thought. She already had plans for today anyway. It was a perfect day to try and fix her rat bike. She had crashed it a few days ago, nothing too serious, only a few cuts and bruises but the bike had gotten away from her and needed some serious attention. She sat up on the bed and rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. She looked around her room, still amazed at the luxury she was living in. Well, it seemed like luxury compared to what she was used to. Even though it had only been six weeks, everyone had pulled together and helped fix up the hotel into some rather nice living accommodation. Sam was lucky to get her own room. She probably would be sharing with Anya it wasn't for the fact that Anya was sharing a room with Marcus. "Poor Marcus I hope he's doing ok" she thought to herself. Sam got up and dressed and made her way down to the restaurant which had become a food hall. Even though it was early, they were already cooking breakfast. Even after the locust attack on Azura, there was still a surprising amount of food supplies left. Sam settled for some bacon and eggs. There was a few other people, mainly people who worked on the night patrol who's shifts were just finishing. Sam finished her bacon and eggs and made her way outside to start working on her bike. She made her way down to the beach, where her bike was stored in a makeshift shed. After unlocking the shed and looking at her bike, she remembered just what a mess it was in. She wheeled it out and spent about 5 minutes just looking at it. She was pretty good with stuff like this, but she could use a hand. Only trouble was, the one person that could probably help her, she had been trying to avoid. That person was Baird. Ever since they'd been here, Baird had been unusually nice to her. She couldn't really complain about it, it's just that she wasn't use to it. Baird had usually been a bit of an ass hole to her and she had always bitched back at him. But this was different. In fact, he had completely changed around her as soon as he found out about Dom's fate. She knew that it had hit him harder than he cared to admit. Something about Baird being nice to her made her feel uneasy. When he was being an ass, it was easy for her to dislike him. But the way he was acting now, she couldn't dislike him. Which made her feel . . . "No, it's not like I like him or anything. He's just being nice to me because of Dom's death" Just as she thought that, she saw a figure coming towards her. As he got closer, she realised that it was Baird. "Oh great"

He came up to her and seemed like a totally different person when he spoke to her.

"Hey Sam. What you up to"

"Just trying to fix my bike" Sam said, regretting that she had used the word, trying.

"Ah. Well I can help you with that"

"It's ok. I don't really need any help. But thanks"

"No really it's fine. I want to help. And you know how I love to fix stuff. Just let me get some tools and I'll be right back"

Sam gave in "Ok. If you insist I won't stop you"

"Be right back"

Sam watched him as he walked off. "Well, it will be nice to have the company I guess" She didn't do much when he was gone. She realised that she really did need his help and felt stupid for not asking for it in the first place. She looked out at the ocean for a bit. She tried not to give herself too much time to think these days, because all she could think of was all those that they had lost. And those thoughts always led her back to the same person. "Well Dom, where ever you are, I hope you with your family and I hope your happy" Sam missed Dom everyday and she knew she wasn't the only one. She thought about poor Marcus coping with the loss of Dom, and the loss of his Father. "Well, at least you still have Anya" She knew Anya was close to Dom as well hoped that she was ok. Sam knew that Baird missed Dom as well. He hadn't really talked about it yet. Marcus had told everyone that Dom had died a hero. He hadn't gone through all the details though. Sam's thoughts were interrupted when she saw Baird coming back up the beach with a large kit bag of tools in his hand. He put them down with a thud, almost as if he was emphasising how heavy they were.

"This should help" he said. "Now, lets get to work"

"What's his angle. Why is so keen on helping me? Is it so he can hold it against me when he wants a favour. Or is he like me, keeping himself busy so he doesn't have to think about all the losses we've suffered"

She decided to just be thankful and hope that he was just being nice for a change. Baird, being nice? Well, I guess the war has changed us all"

They spent a good few hours on the bike. Sam was impressed with Baird's skills, she'd never really given him enough credit in the past. Most of their conversation was about the bike, but Sam decided to be bold and ask Baird why he'd been so different around her lately.

"Baird?" She asked

"Yeah"

"I have a question. Don't take this the wrong way, because I do appreciate your help today but, why have you been so nice to me lately?"

Baird didn't know how to respond to that. He had been nicer to her lately. But he didn't expect her to ask him why. He didn't respond, he just shrugged, trying not to make eye contact.

"I mean, you were kind of an ass to me before. So, what's changed"

"Hey, you weren't exactly nice to me either" he responded defensively.

"Only cos I was retaliating" she said defending herself.

He didn't say anything. Neither did she for a while. They just carried on with what they were doing. Sam couldn't help but be reminded about the way Baird used to be around her. Always putting her down or finding something to argue about. And all those remarks he made about her and Dom. She still wanted to know why he had changed so much.

"It's because of Dom, isn't it" she finally said. "Why you've been so different"

Baird stopped what he was doing as soon as she said his name. He looked down for a while, as if he was thinking about saying something. Then he finally spoke.

"I used to be an ass hole to a lot of people Sam. I was even an ass hole to Dom at times. But since he . . . is not here any more . . ." he said as if he couldn't bring himself to use the word dead. "Since he's no longer with us, I regret all those times. It made me realise that the few people that I have left . . ." Baird was struggling to get his words out. "I realised life's to short for all that bullshit. I know what's really important now"

Sam was surprised that he was opening up to her this much. But Baird's words made perfect sense to her.

"I understand" Sam replied.

The two carried on working for a while. But something still bothered Sam. She had to ask.

"So, why have you been nicer to me than anyone? I mean, you used to give me a really hard time. Especially about Dom"

"Well, I'm hardly gonna do that now am I Sam. I mean not now he's . . ."

"It's ok Baird. You can say it. Now he's dead"

Baird still hadn't really come to terms with that. It hit him a lot harder than he thought it would. Not as bad a losing someone closer tom him, like Cole, but it still hurt like hell.

"Now he's . . dead. And out of everyone, I gave you the hardest time"

"Yeah. Why was that? And why all the remarks about me and Dom?"

"I dunno Sam. I guess I knew that they would get to you" "What kind of a person am I. I made those remarks to get at Sam. I knew how complicated it was, especially after Dom lost his wife, and I used him to get to Sam" he thought realising what an ass he'd been.

Sam didn't say anything. She just looked down at what she was doing, not really concentrating on it.

"I'm sorry Sam. I should never have said those things to get to you. For what it's worth, I think Dom would have been lucky to be with you. And all those things I said, were only said out of jealousy"

What Baird just said shocked Sam. "Did I just hear right. He was, jealous? Jealous that I had feelings for Dom, rather than, him?!"

"What?" was all Sam could manage to say.

"Forget it Sam. It doesn't matter now anyway. Just forget I said anything ok"

"How can I forget what you just said. You were. . . jealous?"

"No, not jealous just . . ."

"You said they were said out of jealousy. What did you mean"

He looked up, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. There really was no point in denying this any longer.

"You're a smart girl Sam. You figure it out" he said softly.

The realisation hit her pretty quick. All she could manage to say was "Oh"

They looked at each other for a few seconds, even though it felt a lot longer, then Baird broke the gaze.

"I um better go" Baird said, gathering up his tools quickly. He picked up his bag to leave.

"Baird, wait don't . . . "

"Forget what I said Sam ok. Just forget it. It's probably for the best anyway"

And with that, he left. All Sam could do, was watch him leave, still trying to process what had just happened.

To be continued soon.