A/N: to everyone who's been reading—a heartfelt thanks!

There's only one more chapter after this one, so now would be a good time to comment…

Chapter 9

By the time Evan was nearly three and his cousin, Lucy Joy, almost one and a half, both Danny and Martin found themselves busy with their own families. Elena had drug Danny to one too many family functions and had introduced him to one of her cousins. Danny, being the man that he is, flirted shamelessly with all the women. Raquel took offense and questioned his ethics. Her training as a lawyer kicked in and she held her own against Danny's protests and defense of the male species. Several arguments later, Raquel's older sister, Eva, just looked at the two of them and said, "Por Dios (4), you two, just shut up and kiss already! You both know you like each other. Just kiss and let's have some peace and quiet!" And ten months later they were married.

Martin, on the other hand, met his wife Lauren in the elevator one morning a month after Danny first kissed Raquel. Lauren Hutchinson worked for the Department of Education as a Legal Advisor and told him she didn't think his tie went well with his suit. Not knowing where the boldness came from, Martin asked her out to dinner that night. She was exactly like Samantha and nothing like Samantha all at the same time. Lauren was about the same size and stature as Sam had been, but with short dark hair and green eyes which were almost always behind her bright purple glasses. She had a wicked sense of humor and appreciated the long hours Martin sometimes had to work. About a week after Danny and Raquel's wedding, Martin proposed.

At Evan's third birthday party, he was joined once again by his neighborhood friends, his friends from pre-school, his little 'sister,' and of course everyone from Samantha's team. This year the circle of friends was expanded to include Raquel and Lauren as well as Reggie's girlfriend, Tori. Both Danny and Martin had their hands full with the littlest guests. Mercedes Sara Taylor was almost eight months old while Chelsea Simone Fitzgerald turned three months old the day before the party. Both Raquel and Lauren were gracious in naming their daughters in part for Samantha.

As he held his sleeping daughter in his arms and watched the other children playing with Evan's new toys, Martin found himself reliving the past…

"I know we've only been dating a few months, Lauren," Martin played with her hair as she lay in his lap on his sofa. "But I want you to know I haven't felt this good in a long time."

Lauren reached up and pulled his face down for a kiss. When she let him sit back up, she asked, "Because of what happened to your co-worker?" Sam's birthday had been the week before and Martin had spent the evening melancholy and morose and nothing Lauren tried would bring him out of the funk.

Martin nodded, "I'm sorry about last week. It was her birthday and Sam was…she was more than just my co-worker," he finished quietly.

"I gathered as much," Lauren admitted. "You seem to not want to talk about her much. Did she break your heart?"

"In a way," Martin started, "But she also taught me a lot about love too. She was always so strong—maybe too strong in some ways. I never thought I'd lose her in the line of duty. I always thought she'd be there, that maybe, some day, we could try again."

Lauren sat up and took his hands in hers, "Why don't you tell me what happened between you two. I won't be mad, Martin. We both have a past. I've told you about Robert and how abusive he was. Why don't you tell me and be free of the past?"

The fact that she said 'be free' made Martin think. He had been a bit trapped by his past with Samantha to fully have a future with Lauren. And the more time he spent with her, the more Martin felt like she could be someone he could build a future with; someone he'd be proud to call his wife. He nodded and took a deep breath and confessed all about the first time he found love and how, ultimately, it ended badly for both him and Samantha. He told her about getting shot and his addiction to painkillers. He confessed how when Sam told him she was pregnant, he felt a little piece of his heart die and that how when he held Sam's hand as she died, he truly didn't know how he was going to get through life without her.

Lauren hadn't moved or made a sound while Martin told her about Samantha and their relationship, breakup and renewal of friendship. When he got to her death, she couldn't help but shed a tear or two for Samantha, Martin and little Evan. She squeezed his hands tight and whispered, "I'm so sorry!"

Martin returned the grip and leaned forward and kissed her lightly.

"What about now?" she asked.

"Now?" Martin gave her one of his trademark grins, "Now I know I'm meant to be with you. Do you remember that day in the elevator? You told me my tie clashed with my shirt. I wasn't going to say anything. I certainly wasn't going to ask you out for dinner!"

"So what happened? What changed your mind?" Lauren loved his dimples when he smiled and she returned his grin.

"It was the strangest thing, I felt this little shove in the middle of my back and I knew I had to ask you out."

Lauren tipped her head and asked sardonically, "What, a little voice told you to ask me out?"

"I think it was more than a little voice," Martin looked at her sheepishly. "I mean, I asked Sam to look out for all of us. I know Jack and Vivian did too. I think—and I know it sounds crazy—but I think it was Sam. I think it was Sam making sure I didn't screw up my future the way I did the past."

"You think Samantha was telling you not to let the opportunity being presented to you to slip away?" Lauren looked a little skeptical and a little awed.

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

Lauren shook her head, "Not at all." She settled herself into his lap and kissed him deeply before she pulled back and looked up, "Thanks Samantha! I'll take good care of him!"

Martin gently laid his daughter back in the car seat and joined his wife on the couch, accepting the cola she handed him. He was about to take a sip when his 'nephew' interrupted.

"Unca Martin? Why you gave me this present?" Evan held up a worn copy of Winnie the Pooh.

Handing Laura his drink, Martin gathered up the little boy with Sam's crooked smile and big brown eyes and sat him on his lap; opening the book's front cover, "See here, Evan?" Martin drew his finger under the childish writing on the line titled 'This book belongs to.' "That's your mommy's name—Samantha Spade—this book was hers."

Although he was just three, Evan knew very well that his mommy was in heaven watching him grow and be happy. Evan knew that even though he called Emily "Momma" she really was his aunt and that his "Papa" was his uncle. He couldn't quite grasp that Lucy Joy was his cousin and not his sister—but then again, he was just three.

"Why'd you have it?" he asked his godfather.

Martin hugged the little boy tight, "A long time ago, when you weren't even here yet, your mommy gave me a box of things that I had left at her house. Somehow, this book ended up in that box and I waited until you were old enough to sit still and listen to give it to you."

Evan looked up at Martin with his eyes shining, "I'm big enough now! Read, Unca Martin!"


4 = My god!