A/N: I know this chapter is late and I'm very sorry for that! I got a little distracted by the awesomeness of the CreationEnt con! Hope this chapter is worth the wait. Enjoy!
Pete Shanahan sat in his SUV, stationary in an old parking lot on the edge of Boston. He watched his mirrors carefully while he played with the, now empty, Krispy Kreme bag on his lap. He looked for a bright set of headlights in the dim interior of the concrete structure and was rewarded with a bright flash and screech as a car swung up the ramp.
The car parked next to Pete's and a shiny door opened to reveal two hulks of men in dark suits accompanied by a much smaller man in a lighter suit. He carried a metal briefcase. At the sight of the briefcase, Pete got out of the SUV and walked to the front to meet the smaller man. Pete wasn't surprised when the big guys frisked him for weapons and listening devices. He raised his eyebrows in a 'You done?' fashion when they had finished and not found anything.
"So where am I going?" The question was direct - Pete could never be bothered with dancing around the issue, or a job for that matter. Not when there was so much money involved.
"Last we heard, she'd gone west. Minnesota probably." The man apparently appreciated Pete's directness as he looked him straight in the eye.
"Half now, half when I've actually found her I take it?" He tilted his head toward the metal case clutched in the other man's hand.
"Correct. And you won't see the other half until we have her back in Boston. You call it in and we'll come and pick her up. Just keep it simple, and for God's sake don't let the Feds know you're sniffing around." The man's tone was scathing with a face to match.
Pete scowled back.
"This isn't the first time I've done this. Have you got a picture and a name for me?"
The smaller man reached inside his slightly shiny suit and pulled out a photo, handing it to Pete with a small smile, "You can see why he liked her eh?"
Pete took the photo and stared at it for a few seconds. "Wow. He knows how to pick 'em. What did she do to him anyway?" He looked back to the smaller man's face.
"Doesn't matter to you. Just find her. If you're half as good as this amount of cash suggests, it shouldn't take you too long." He handed the briefcase to Pete.
Pete lifted the case up onto the hood of his car, opened it and checked several of the piles of cash within. "I am. And anyway, someone who looks like this can't stay hidden for long." He said as he closed the briefcase and secured the fastenings.
"I'll look forward to your call then." replied the smaller man as he walked back to the door of his car, followed closely by the walking slabs. They all got in the car and drove off into the darkness of the lot. Pete heard the screech of tyres again as the car exited down the ramp.
He climbed into the driver's side of his own vehicle, placing the metal case on the seat beside him. Pete held onto the photograph and stared at the attractive woman featured. Her blonde hair was cropped short and her blue eyes were creased in laughter from behind a birthday cake covered in candles. He turned the photo over and read the name on the back. Pete placed the photo on the case beside him.
Turning the key in the ignition, he said to no-one but himself, "So Samantha Carter, just where are you hiding?"
The weeks after Valentine's Day passed in fits and starts for Sam. Jack popped in every now and then to - as he put it - "Check everything was going well with the wedding cake." He insisted on reminding her that he was the best man so it was part of his duties.
The first few times he visited, he was tentative but playful; asking what she was doing in a child-like voice and staying just a little longer than appropriate. Jack was very different when the groom, Daniel, wasn't around. She found him staring at her occasionally as he sat eating a slice of cake at the window counter. She'd smile and duck her head when she caught his eye and pretend to be very busy with whatever it was she was doing.
Sam talked back to him, finding his childishness endearing. The back and forth was easy between them but she knew they were both still holding back, playing the dangerous game of trying to keep the other person interested without actually giving anything about themselves away. Because of this, their conversations were always light-hearted. They spent a large amount of time teasing each other and people watching. Sam and Jack developed a fun game of guessing how many people would slip over on the slowly melting ice outside the shop window.
On Jack's fourth visit, Murray happened to be keeping Sam company in the shop. Jack made the mistake of not even considering Murray and went straight up to where Sam was stacking some cupcakes.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself." Sam replied with an easy smile. Her eyes flickered to Murray but Jack didn't notice as he eyed up the newest batch of Sam's creations.
"So, how's everything going?" he asked absent-mindedly, still reviewing the cakes in front of him.
"Oh you know, same as ever. See anything you like?" Sam didn't take her eyes off the tray in front of her but could still see Jack in her peripheral vision. She waited to see if he would take the bait. She enjoyed the playfulness of their exchanges.
"Plenty." Jack said with a big grin as he looked directly at her, the cakes forgotten.
A snort erupted from Murray and Sam stared at him incredulously as he tried to turn it into a cough. Too late, however, as Jack followed Sam's eye-line. He turned back to her.
"Friend of yours?" he asked, hoiking a thumb over his shoulder.
"Not for long." Sam ground out, sending a death stare towards her best friend. Murray simply shrugged his shoulders and tried to look apologetic.
Murray stood up, wiping the last of his cake from around his mouth. He walked towards Jack; Sam could see he was using every bit of his height to appear as imposing as possible. He stretched out his hand in greeting although he did not smile.
"Hi, I'm Murray."
Sam watched Jack carefully. To his credit, he didn't back down an inch, instead walking forwards to meet her friend.
"Jack."
The baker shook her head as she observed the silent moment when both men shook hands and tried to measure up the other. Men mystified her sometimes.
"Sam tells me you had a pretty disastrous date end in here?" Sam could see the glimmer of humour in Murray's eyes but she wondered if Jack could too.
"Yeah you could say that. On the other hand, I did get to meet Sam."
Murray smiled and shot a look at Sam as she lowered her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. The look had said (with one raise of an eyebrow), 'this guy? Seriously?'
Apparently the glance wasn't lost on Jack. He scrubbed his hand on the back of his neck and continued trying to prove himself to Sam's friend.
"So did Sam tell you my friend's getting married? Sam's making the cake and doing a great job so far." He turned and smiled at her. The smile that made her (far too literally for her mind) go weak at the knees. How could he elicit such a reaction from her?
"Yeah she mentioned it. Are you here to check how the design's going?" Murray asked innocently.
"Er, yeah, well I thought I should come and try some of her other stuff before the big day. You know, just to make sure Daniel and Sharon are getting Sam's best offerings." Although Sam could not see Jack's expression, she could hear the joke in his voice and evidently Murray could too as a grin split across his face.
"Ha, yeah well I'm glad to see you're taking your best man's duties so seriously." Murray offered in mock sincerity.
From behind the counter, Sam blew out gently as the tension in the room melted away. She plated up two cupcakes and two cups of coffee as Jack and Murray began to chat away like old friends. They lifted the plates with grateful smiles and returned to where Murray had been sitting before. Before long Jack had Murray laughing and Sam relished the sound that filled her shop as the afternoon went on.
The street lights had just been lit by the time Jack rose from his seat and walked over to say goodbye. His eyes sparkled as he smiled at her but Sam's heart dropped at the thought of him leaving. Jack waved a farewell to his new friend and walked out into the gathering dark. Sam sighed as she stared after him. She found it increasingly disconcerting that he had such an effect on her. She didn't even notice when Murray approached the counter.
"Uh oh. That bad is it?"
Sam fixed her friend with a look that would have sent any other grown man cowering into a corner. Murray simply smiled.
"He's great Sam, I don't see what the problem is. And he obviously thinks the world of you. Why can't you give it a shot?" Murray's face was earnest. Sam shuffled and looked down at her hands.
"You know exactly why Murray. What happens when he asks about what I did before I came to Northview? I know I have a cover story but I think I lo... think too much of him to lie to him. Anyway, what happens when we have to move on? When something happens that means I have to disappear again, leaving everything behind? How is that fair on anyone?" Sam realised she was speaking loudly and passionately, something she hadn't done in a very long time. What had this guy done to her?
Murray took her hands gently into his own. He studied her features briefly as she tried to find an answer on his face.
"You could always tell him the truth." Murray said quietly.
Sam stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock. The significance of her Federal handler suggesting she tell a man she'd only known for a few weeks the truth about her past and the reason she was in witness protection was not lost on her.
"What?" was the only reply she could produce.
"I'd obviously have to check him out first but if this is something you really want – and it kind of seems like it is – then I'm sure we could work something out." He smiled at her and Sam wondered if she could physically draw strength from his hands.
"I... I just..." Sam was working to keep the spark in her chest from becoming a roaring forest fire. She didn't get these kinds of chances, she didn't deserve them so how could this one possibly end in anything but disaster. But Murray's eyes continued to bore into her, clearing a path through the debris of her past to the flame of hope that resided firmly in the present.
Still she couldn't say anything, her only reply a weak smile she hoped would suffice. However, it appeared her friend knew her too well.
"He's a good man Sam. I just want to see you happy and I think he can make that happen. But, as clichéd as it sounds, you have to give him that chance. Jack's trying and I don't think it's something that comes easily to him so if you don't give him some clue that he's on the right track, you might lose this chance. Please, just let go of some of your fear and let yourself love again." He smiled at her and pulled her hands close in a quick gesture of support before placing them back on the counter. "I have to go, just remember that you do deserve this." As he reached the door, Murray turned once more, "You really do."
And as sincere as the words sounded coming from her friend, Sam still didn't know if it was enough to ward off all the demons of her past. How could she let go of everything that had come before, everything that had threatened to drown her on a daily basis in a sea of self-loathing and bad memories? Was the fire in her heart strong enough to burn that all away? Sam realised there was only one way to find out. But it would involve something she hadn't done since meeting Murray – letting someone in.
A/N: With moving back to the UK this week, I can't guarantee that the next chapter will be posted next weekend. I'm hoping that I will find time to work on it and get it up but this is just a little warning. Thanks for bearing with me and things should be a little more stable after that.