Hey, sorry it took me a little longer to post this chapter. I really struggled with it, I must have rewritten it at least three times. Anyways, please enjoy and feel free to tell me if you didn't. My feelings won't be hurt :)

A/N: Here's a special Thank You to everyone who continues to read this story. I really appreciate it!

Chapter Ten

Naomi walked into the conference room after Violet and stopped dead in her tracks. They knew. Their stiff posture was a dead giveaway; and their conversation was much too polite, nothing like the usual talking over each other chatter. "How the hell did you overhear our conversation" she asked, more curious than angry.

Everyone glanced in Pete's direction. "Oh thanks guys" Pete said, turning to his wife. "Look, I don't know how Violet but your phone accidentally called me; and when we saw Naomi walk into your office, we couldn't resist".

"Pete! How could you..." Violet started before Naomi cut her off.

"No, don't worry about it Violet. I'm glad they know; it keeps me from having to tell my story again" Naomi said. Turning her attention back to everyone else, her friends and colleagues, she continued "I'm sorry if you ever felt I was keeping things from you. For some reason, I was convinced that I should handle things by myself. I didn't want to lay my burdens on you guys. I also hope you don't hold anything against me now after discovering what I've been through, how I handled it, and how I felt about certain situations".

"We understand Naomi. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say I wish you would have come to us sooner. You didn't have to suffer by yourself for so long" Sheldon said, the other doctors nodding their agreement.

Naomi smiled sincerely. "To be honest, I hadn't come to terms with a lot of these feelings before I left for Africa. I was trying so hard to be normal; I didn't take time to interpret my feelings. Spending time away from here, with Jordan, is what helped me delve deep and face memories that were previously too painful to think about, let alone understand. It would have been harder and taken longer to do it with you guys because you know me so well and have known me for so long; you know and are a part of my history".

"Well, at least promise us in the future you won't be afraid to confide in us" Pete said. Looking around the table, he added "That goes for everyone. Not only are we friends and coworkers, we're family. I know we're all doctors with God complexes but if we can manage to practice co-op medicine to help our patients, we should be able to help each other through difficult times. Even if we just share with one person, we can't keep our emotions to ourselves. It does more harm than good".

"That was very well said Pete" Violet said, her anger ebbing.

"Agreed" said Cooper. "Secrets have come back to bite all of us in the ass. I think we can do with more honesty around here".

"In other words, Cooper cares too much to see someone hurting" Charlotte said, interpreting her fiancé's words. "You guys know I'm not the touchy feeling type but I'm not heartless either". Charlotte took a deep breath and looked Naomi in the eye. "Naomi, I know we haven't talked about it since you've gotten back, but I've read and reread that email you sent me after I was raped. It's gotten me through many hard days. And I appreciate you giving me space and waiting for me to approach you; you don't know how much that means to me. I know I'm not the easiest to talk to, but if there's anything I can ever do for you...I'm here". Tears were falling down her face, but instead of wiping them away, Charlotte held her head up proudly. She was a survivor, not a victim.

Naomi let her tears flow freely too. "Stand up Charlotte King" she demanded.

"What" Charlotte asked confused.

"Stand up" Naomi said again. Looking uneasy, the petite blonde stood up. Naomi walked slowly over to her and embraced her in a tight hug. "Thank you".

Charlotte hugged her back just as fiercely. "No Naomi. Thank you".

Amelia kept wiping her face only for fresh tears to appear. "Can we get this show on the road? I have afternoon patients and I only have so much water proof mascara on hand".

"And I'm completely out" Addison added. "But we needed to have this conversation. Hopefully laying everything on the table will help us in the future" she said honestly. Addison meant every word, and not only where she and Naomi were concerned. The practice, these people were her family.

Violet sniffled, choked up by her emotions as well. They had to get back to business, but this little breakdown had been beneficial. "Shall we get on with it then" she asked rhetorically, as everyone gathered themselves and transitioned back into work mode.

...

Everyone seemed to fall apart in the conference room earlier today, including Charlotte King; that was a shocker. Sam's pain and guilt had turned to rage; whether it was rage at himself, Naomi, or the situation he didn't know. But he couldn't go home until he got some things off his chest. He had to talk to Naomi; he had to say some things he couldn't say in that conference room. It was after hours but Sam knew his ex-wife. Taking those unexpected days off would compel her to stay late and play catch-up. Trotting down the stairs to the fourth floor, Sam strolled down the hallway and burst into Naomi's office. She was sitting at her desk reviewing patients' files. "We need to talk" he said abruptly.

"Good evening to you too" Naomi said looking up, unsurprised. She saw this coming a mile away. There was no way Sam could overhear her pour out her soul to Violet and not eventually confront her. He was too much a part of her story and he would feel the need to defend himself, whether it was warranted or not. "Haven't you ever heard the concept of a knock" she asked exasperated.

"Yes, but I've also heard of the concept of avoidance and I didn't want to give you the opportunity to use it" Sam said.

"I wouldn't have avoided your knock" Naomi said, leaning back in her chair. "I'm all about facing things head on these days. Besides, I can only imagine you have plenty to say after my impromptu confessional earlier today".

"That's right" he confirmed. But what did he have to say? Sam paced back and forth in front of her desk, trying to get his thoughts together. How could he possibly make her understand? "Some of the things you said..."

"Yes" Naomi urged.

Sam stopped walking and just looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me how you felt"?

"There was a time when I didn't have to tell you anything; you automatically knew" Naomi hedged.

"Why didn't you tell me" Sam repeated.

She sighed. "Because as I explained earlier, I was too busy ignoring my emotions. How could I explain what I didn't know? Besides, what difference would it have made? You were determined to leave Sam" Naomi answered.

"I don't know. Maybe I would have..."

"Would have what? Stayed? It would have been out of guilt, not love. That would have been a worse fate" Naomi said.

Sam tried a different angle. "I guess I just thought that even through our ups and downs, you never doubted my love for you. I thought you knew I still cared about you, loved you not only as the mother of my child, but as my closest friend. No one knows me better than you and vice versa. I thought that even though we weren't in love anymore, the genuine love I had for you was still apparent".

"Correction. I was still very much in love with you. And deep down I did know you loved me; I was just too heartbroken to acknowledge it at the time. What you overheard me telling Violet were my initial reactions. I didn't continuously feel that way; most times I really was okay. It was only when another trauma would strike that I would sink so low. Pain has a way of making you feel and see things worse than they really are. I knew you still cared, just not as much as I did" Naomi responded.

"Yeah, until you flipped the script on me" Sam laughed wryly.

"Excuse me" Naomi asked.

"Naomi, I don't think you realize the power you have over people. I was so ready to explore the world, see what was out there and you sucked me right back in. I fell back in love with you but you were too busy having a life to notice. And when I finally admitted my feelings, you left the practice".

"Oh please. You give me too much credit. If I had the hypnotic powers you claim, you would have never left. I think you were just scared; I was a safety net, something familiar to cling to" Naomi said, disregarding Sam's sentiments. Quickly, she glanced at the clock on her desk. Jordan would be there soon to pick her up; he called a couple of hours ago and asked her to accompany him to a business dinner. She needed to change clothes. Rising from her chair, she headed to the far corner of her office to retrieve one of the spare dresses she kept in her closet.

Sam sidestepped and blocked her path. "You're no one's safety net Naomi. You're a dream come true. And I truly wanted my dream back".

Naomi's breath hitched. "Then why didn't you fight harder. You had to know that just telling me you loved me wasn't going to cut it. After everything that happened, I needed proof".

"You are right about one thing. I was scared; scared of messing up again. When all your dreams come true, you start to wonder what there is to look forward to. That's why I left in the first place; I was literally scared of having it all. I didn't want to hurt you again so I let you go". Sam looked into Naomi's eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.

Naomi's eyes were glassy, but no tears fell. "And now you have a new dream" she reminded Sam.

Sam looked down, sighed. Addison wasn't a dream, she was more like a fantasy; something you imagine for so long only to discover the real thing doesn't live up to you imagination. That's not to say that what Sam shared with Addison wasn't great, it just wasn't what he expected. Naomi had been everything he expected and more at one point in his life. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he looked back up at her. "If I never expressed myself properly before, I want you to know how truly sorry I am Naomi; for how I ended our marriage, for being so careless with you feelings, for making you feel unlovable and worthless, for taking a piece of you, for Addison and I causing you more pain. That was never my intention. I know there's no way I can ever make it up to you, but I hope one day you will forgive me. I want my close friend back".

"Thank you Sam. I know you're sorry but it still feels good to hear you say it. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and part of my pain is my own fault. I should have never stopped loving myself, and now that I'm learning to do that again, it's made a world of difference. And as for being close friends again...we'll get there...eventually; we're already halfway there. This conversation would have been impossible before I left for Africa". Naomi smiled sadly. In some ways, knowing Sam had still loved her but was too scared to act on it made her pain worse. Things could have been so different. But she appreciated his honesty; and it did give her a small dose of relief. His leaving really wasn't her fault; she was worthy and loved. She closed her eyes briefly to clear her head; this conversation was getting a little too heavy; she wanted to be in a better mood when Jordan arrived. Walking around him towards her closet, she added "I hate to cut this conversation short but Jordan should be here soon and I need to change. Can we pick this up tomorrow"?

Sam ignored her suggestion; he wasn't going to let her brush him off so easily. He knew the conversation was probably getting to her, but he didn't want to leave without getting everything off his chest. Following her with his eyes, he said "I have one more thing to say".

"What is it" Naomi asked, digging in her closet for her little black dress

"I'm sorry about the baby. I know how much human life means to you. And if Fife couldn't get over his own ego to see you were trying to do the right thing concerning William, it's his loss. Trust me, I know". Fife and the baby had been a part of Naomi's story Sam hadn't seen coming in a million years. He hated to think of his wife involved sexually with other men, but to know another man had implanted his seed into her body, had produced a life with her, and to know she fell in love with an arrogant asshole really ate at Sam. He refused to fully process the information just to keep his sanity. He would just concentrate on Naomi and what she must have gone through.

Naomi stopped rummaging through her closet and stared at Sam. Her eyes were filling with water and spilling over. "Thank...thank you Sam". She couldn't say any more for fear of completely losing it. But she was sure Sam was aware of what she meant and felt in those two words. Their telepathic communication wasn't completely broken.

Sam walked over to her. He gently touched Naomi's face and wiped her tears. He wanted to embrace her and hug but knew better than to push limits. "Don't cry Naomi. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted to give you my condolences".

"I know. Thank you" Naomi whispered.

"Come on, cheer up" he encouraged. "You said Jordan would be here soon, right? The way you talk, sex with him can cure anything. Try that" he joked, ignoring the clenching in his gut. This was about Naomi, not him.

Naomi laughed, automatically feeling lighter. "That's not a bad idea".

Sam smiled back reluctantly, dropping his hand from her face. "So, the sex, it's earth-shattering, huh" he asked.

Naomi wiped the remaining wetness from her eyes and looked up curiously at Sam. "Don't tell me your ego is bruised'.

Sam's chest puffed up a little as he turned defensive. "No, it's not bruised. I am curious though. If he's earth-shattering, what was I, where do I rank"?

Naomi folded her arms across her chest. "Where do I" she asked, turning the question back on Sam.

"First place; no one comes remotely close" Sam answered honestly, speaking before thinking. "Now answer me, where do I rank".

Before she could answer, Jordan walked through her office door, saving her. He was dressed in a sleek well-tailored business suit. Looking between the two of them, Jordan vaguely wondered what was going on. Glancing at his wrist, he checked the time on his watch. "I'm sorry Naomi; I thought we agreed on seven o'clock".

Straightening her posture, hoping the flush in her cheeks and her racing heartbeat weren't obvious, Naomi answered "We did. Sam and I were just having a discussion and I lost track of time. I'm so sorry I'm running late. Just give me five minutes and I'll be ready".

"No problem, take your time" Jordan reassured. "So you're the ex-husband" he inquired, turning his attention towards Sam.

"Yes" Naomi answered for Sam, before making introductions.

"It's good to meet you" Jordan said, extending his hand.

"Likewise" Sam said, though his tone and his body language seemed to suggest the opposite. Extending his hand, he gave Jordan a strong handshake, testing his strength. "Well, I won't hold you guys up any longer. Have a nice evening" he said abruptly, strolling out of the office before getting a response. Suddenly, he was regretting suggesting Naomi have sex with Jordan to cheer up; though she probably would anyway with or without his suggestion. What did she see in him and his dumb British accent anyway Sam wondered as he left the office.

Naomi and Jordan watched him go. "That must have been one hell of a conversation" Jordan concluded.

"Yeah, it was" Naomi said, feeling a little dazed. Refocusing her thoughts away from Sam, she turned back to Jordan. "Right, okay. Just give me five minutes" she repeated, rushing to grab her dress.