Fandom: Flashpoint
Pairing: Sam/Jules
Category: Romance
Rating: K+
ONE-SHOT

Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to, I don't own Flashpoint, and all characters remain property of the show's wonderful scriptwriters. All original characters and plots are mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: There are moments in life where, with just a few carefully uttered words, the entire world shifts and nothing is ever the same again. Spoilers for 4x01 "Personal Effects"

Author's Note: I must have written and re-written this about ten times, and none of it came remotely close to what I really wanted to say. It's just one of those pieces that can't seem to write itself. I'm not sure this is entirely what I want it to be; so maybe a re-write will come in the future.

There are moments in life where, with just a few carefully uttered words, the entire world shifts and nothing is ever the same again. Where the axis of all you know is good and true tilts, and you wonder if you've been living in an alternate reality all this time.

And this was Julianna Callaghan's one such moment.

It shouldn't have been her defining moment. She was in the middle of work – about to leap ten floors down and confront a man with a gun – and she should not have been distracted.

But she was.

She heard Toth over her commset, wrestling for control of a team that would never be loyal to him – not after what he had done to them, and what he could still do to them – and Sarge, who was equally determined not to cede that control.

It had been a terse minute as the rest of her team refused to stand down. But that wasn't her defining moment.

Her defining moment came with Sam's words.

"There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be."

Eight little words, each so insignificant on its own, yet when strung together, had the power to stop Jules' heart and make her struggle for breath. It wasn't much of what he said, but rather, how he said it.

To Toth and the rest of the team, it was an innocent declaration of allegiance and a pronouncement of professionalism; a testament that despite all the trials of the day, Sam Braddock was still a trained SRU officer who would do the job at all costs.

But to Jules, the unspoken message in his eyes and the intensity of his gaze laid to rest any doubts she had been harboring over them. Him and her.

It had been on impulse when she headed to Sam's apartment, forcing herself to face up to what she really wanted, but not really giving much thought to her actions. Natalie bursting in on them was the impetus needed to stop Jules from going further, and she'd meant it when she told Sam it was probably for the better.

They needed to slow down and think about it, not rush into things.

But his declaration changed everything. As Jules looked into his eyes, she saw more than just a fervent declaration.

It was a promise.

He wasn't going anywhere, and he was hoping that neither was she. He was all ready to jump head-first into rekindling the fire between them, and he was telling her, in his own way, that he hoped she would be there, holding his hand and jumping with him.

Jules didn't dare smile at him, not when they were in full view of Wordy. She squeezed his hand instead, letting him know without words that she understood. He squeezed her hand back, and she felt strangely reassured.

He had been surprised though, when he saw her waiting by his bike. He hadn't said anything, just pulled her behind him and they rode back to his apartment in silence, the wind whipping through their hair.

Now he stared at her, the unspoken question in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" His hands running down her arm, sending warm shivers down her spine.

She wanted to melt into his gaze, sink into his arms. The world around them faded; the sword of Damocles hanging over their jobs slipped away, and there was nothing but them.

Him and her.

"There is no place I would rather be."

Just eight simple words, but it was enough for them.