PROBLEM(ATIC)
Torn Between the Two
Chapter Six
"I Hate You"


"You don't know how you met me
You don't know why, you cant turn around and say good-bye
All you know is when I'm with you I make you free
And swim through your veins like a fish in the sea"


Gates sat at the bar sipping a beer as he waited to see if Sam would show up. He'd asked her earlier to join him and Teddy at 'Ike Ryan's' and he was anxious to see if she would show up or blow him off.

"Sam!" yelled Tony as he followed her and their patient towards the elevators, "Hey buddy, you sick of us down here?" he said to the child lying in the gurney.

"No.. I… I like it," Gabriel, the little boy replied and Tony laughed.

"You like it?" he asked, surprised, "You're a weird kid, you know that right?"

"He likes the Jell-o," Gabriel's mom explained, "Thanks again, doctor"

"You're welcome," Tony replied, "You take care of your mom, okay?" he said to Gabriel who nodded in reply, "Sam, any beds open up?

"Well, I had to threaten the charge nurse with physical violence, but something opened up," she replied as she pushed the 'up' button on the elevator and walked over to one of the carts to get some paperwork.

"Hey, we're heading over to Ike Ryan's, you should come!" Tony suggested and Sam looked at him peculiarly.

"Should I?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, as long as if I order you a beer, you don't change it to a vodka gimlet or something," Tony teased and Sam rolled her eyes.

"Well I don't know," she replied. She didn't know if she should go to a bar with Tony. He was still with the Chaplain as far as she knew and Sam wasn't getting involved in that. "I have to report upstairs and I have to… uh… do some more stuff down here,"

"Come on! It's not everyday a case like this turns into a Jell-o-loving-eleven-year-old in the same shift." Tony said quietly, hoping to convince her they were just 'celebrating the case'.

"That's for sure," Sam said with a genuine smile and began to walk away towards the opening elevator doors.

"Well…" Gates said, hoping to get her answer.

"Well?" Sam replied, before grinning, "I'll see if I can make it," she teased.

Gates stood there, his mouth hanging open as he watched her get into the elevator without looking back.

Teddy looked over at Tony with a grin, "You like her, don't you?" he said and Tony looked up quickly from his glass as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Sam… you like her," Teddy explained and Tony sat in the stool not knowing how to reply, "I see the way you two were looking at each other during that trauma…"

Tony grunted, "We are… uh… just…"

"Don't even," Teddy laughed, "I get it. You don't need to explain to me."

Just then Sam joined them at the bar, "Hey guys!" she said with a smile, running her hand over Tony's back before she put her bag and coat down on the bar.

"Hey Sam!" Teddy said with a smile, "Great job today"

"Thank you. You too!" she replied, sitting on the stool next to Tony.

"Hey!" Tony greeted Sam and kicked Teddy underneath the bar, hoping he'd catch the hint to go away, "Gabriel all tucked in?"

"Yes, the IC nurses are fawning all over him," Sam replied with a smile.

Teddy was called over to the pool table and Gates was happy to see him get up to leave, "My turn to win some money," Teddy grinned.

"Alright!" Tony replied, as he walked away, "So what are you drinking?" He asked Sam with a smile.

Sam sighed, "Actually I can't stay" she said. She wanted to enjoy a drink with Tony but she couldn't get over the fact that Tony was in a relationship. Sure, Sam had her own dates, but they were nothing serious.

"Oh so… you came here to tell me that you can't come here?" Tony teased with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Sam replied, rolling her eyes.

"Really, have you heard of a cell phone?" Tony continued to tease her.

"Alright, you know what? You're right. It's dumb, I shouldn't have come here, I wasn't thinking." Sam mumbled, grabbing her belongings from the bar in front of her and getting up off the bar stool.

"Wow, she admits that she wasn't thinking, alert the media!" Tony heard the words come out of his mouth and wanted to smack himself. Was he really saying something that stupid just to try and get her to stay?

"Screw you, Gates" Sam replied and began walking away.

"Come on! Stay here," Gates said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her back towards the bar, "Will you get her a beer please?"

Sam thought for a moment, "Vodka Gimlet, with a twist" she said to the bartender and then grinned at Tony who shook his head.

"You're serious?" he asked and Sam nodded. Gates chuckled and shook his head again as the bartended placed Sam's drink in front of her.

"So, why couldn't you stay?" he asked her, taking a sip of his beer.

Sam sighed, "Gates… I… uhh… I can't be just hanging out with you while you're dating Julia…" she explained, "I know, it sounds stupid but… I've been the 'other woman' before and even if nothing happens between us, I can't let her think something did…"

"Julia and I aren't together anymore," Gates said and Sam looked up at him, shocked, "She said she needed a break from everything and we broke up."

Sam nodded, "Did she know about… us?"

"Is there an 'us'?" Gates asked and Sam sighed.

"Is there?" she asked him and the two sat in silence for a moment, just thinking. Just then the song changed and Sam began to hum along the words.

"What song is this?" Tony asked, watching her sing along quietly.

"You don't know how you met me, you don't know why you can't turn around and say goodbye. All you know is when I'm with you, I make you free, and swim through your veins like a fish in the sea..." Sam said, singing the words out loud and Gates laughed.

"I didn't know you could sing!" he said and Sam blushed.

"I'm a drunk singer," she giggled, " I sing in the shower and in the car and… that's about it…"

Gates nodded, "Well, you have a nice voice."

"Thank you," Sam blushed again, "And the song is 'Follow Me' by Uncle Kracker."

Gates nodded and listened to more of the song as Sam and himself sipped their drinks. He didn't know what to say to her. It was almost like one of those awkward first dates when he was in Junior High. Except, he wasn't in Junior High anymore and Sam definitely didn't look like one of the girls he went to school with. She was more mature looking. Her hair looked amazing and she wore this long sleeved black shirt that plunged just low enough to leave a guy wanting more. She had on high-heeled boots that gave the illusion that she was taller then she really was.

Gates was about to ask her about what she had said to Chuny but Sam spoke first.

"I should go," she said, placing her half empty glass on the bar, "I really wasn't supposed to stay."

"What? You got some hot plans?" Gates teased and Sam rolled her eyes.

"No. I told Chuny I'd take her shift for tomorrow morning and I need to sleep," Sam explained and Tony nodded.

"I'll wait for a cab with you," he said as she got up and Gates grabbed her coat and held it out to put it on her. She chuckled and let him put it on her. She looked up at him and he smiled, their faces inching closer. They were mere millimetres from kissing when Sam pulled away.

"I really should go," she said and grabbed her purse from the bar and heading towards the door. Gates followed her out into the cold Chicago air and smiled as Sam called herself a cab.

"So, you have heard of a cell phone!" he said, motioning towards the phone in her hand. Sam laughed and looked out at the street, pulling her coat closer to herself.

The two stood in silence for a couple minutes, not knowing what to say, yet again. It wasn't long before the cab came and Sam smiled, "Thank you for waiting with me."

"No problem," Gates replied and Sam began walking towards the cab before she spun around and looked at him.

"Ethanol was a good call with that kid. Probably should have done it sooner. It's annoying, but you were right." Sam said, not looking him in the face. She hated saying he was right, but she had to do it.

"Thank you… and Sam… I do like working with you," Gates said and Sam looked at him raising an eyebrow, "Other then the relentless interrogation, second guessing, and the constantly blowing me off when I give you orders…"

Before Tony could continue, Sam mumbled a "Shut up" and quickly walked over to him, placing her hands on his face, and pulling him in for a kiss. She didn't know why she did it, but she was glad when his hands went around her waist and pulled her up into him, returning the kiss. Sam knew she needed to get into the cab and should pull away but her body didn't want to let him go. Gates didn't want to let go either but knew he had to eventually and placed her on the ground again, the two still not letting go on each other.

Sam finally let go of his face and gently pushed him away with a smile, "I hate you!" she teased and walked over to the cab.

"I hate you, too!" Tony said, awe-struck once more by her. He watched her get into the cab and stick her tongue out at him and he stood there for a few minutes longer with a dumb smile on his face.


Teaser

"What are we doing?" Sam asked, looking up at him with 'that look' and Gates stood in shock, not knowing how to reply.