ITitle:What if

Author: Mariedex

Spoilers:After FO, a year in the future.

Disclaimer: The characters in the story are the sole property of Hank Steinberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, and CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Samantha had to make the hardest decision of her life... to leave.

Chapter 3:

It was a routine physical checkup. It was only just to make sure that her leg was healing properly. But when the doctor told her the results of her latest blood work she almost fainted.

Sam didn't tell anybody, not for a while at least. At first, she tried to ignore the results. For some stupid reason she thought that it would all go away. It was a stupid, she knew. But for awhile that was all she had, that was all she could do to keep herself sane. There were always those moments when Vivian would talk about her son or Jack about his girls that would Sam wake up and realize where she was. She would often find herself in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. She knew that she needed to figure out what she needed to do, but every day going to work and seeing Jack confused the issue. They were over, she kept telling herself, yet every once and a while he would give her that look. It was the same look that he had given her over a year ago, that look that told her that all she had to do was come. That all he needed from her was some sort of recognition and then the decision would be made. She knew at that moment, if she simply went over and told him that he would be there for her no matter what. She would not be alone at night, starring up at the ceiling. She would not be sitting and reading information about her options. He would be with her and that would be the end. That look gave her the confidence to not tell him. It would be so easy for them to fall back into old habits. It would be so easy to ruin his family and his kids, to take their father away. She just couldn't do. She couldn't stand the thought of taking him away from them. No matter what she knew that telling Jack was not the answer.

But what was the answer? One night she made up her mind. It was her only choice, it was the only right thing to do. That night she knocked on Danny's door and asked him to do her a favor. She needed a ride home from a clinic. Danny was shocked, not only that she was pregnant and that she didn't tell him, but that she wanted to have an abortion. The look on his face broke all of the resolve that Sam had been building and she broke down. She cried the entire night and he just held her and listened to her. Never once did he judge her. Although she knew he probably did. But he was more angry with the situation. That here she was alone, the strongest woman he knows and she was reduced to tears. He also knew that she didn't really want to terminate the pregnancy. That was one thing he was sure off. But she felt there was no other way and that angered Danny even more.

The next morning Sam got as far as the doctors office. She was sitting in the waiting room. Danny was only supposed to pick her up. She thought if he was there with her like he offered than she would chicken out. She doesn't remember what happened except she that got up and walked out the door. She walked all the way to the FBI building. She stood in the park across the street and watched for a while. A few minutes later by chance, Danny, Vivian and Martin walked out and stood by a car. She saw Jack walking down. They were going somewhere or meeting up, whichever. She called Danny's cell but hung up. She could see him back away and redial her number.





I'm across the street at the park. She couldn't barely contain herself.

I told you that I would pick you up. He whispered and looked over at the park, trying to find her.

I couldn't do it. I don't know why, but I just couldn't. She started crying.

I'll be right there. She could see him walk over to the others and say something. Than he quickly dogged the traffic and came to her. She often wondered if they saw her there. If they saw her break down in Danny's arms. If they saw Danny hail a cab on the other end of the park to take her home. She spent the night crying and sleeping.

Danny just held her and let her ramble. He bounced ideas off her head. He even offered to be the baby's father. That only made Sam cry harder. He was trying his best to be so good. She could tell that all he wanted to do was go hunt Jack down. Every time she said that it was her fault, he corrected her. This was the first night in which she realized how good of a friend he really was. He never allowed her to blame herself or think this was some kind of mistake.

That morning as Sam slept he called Jack and let him know that Sam would need to take the day off. She still hadn't gotten over the flu thing. He would also need a couple of hours, he was going to bring her to the doctor. She was in no condition to go alone. Danny than called some contacts that he had in other regions to figure out where Sam could transfer to. He knew that if this happened, it needed to happen immediately. Judging from last night Sam was in no condition to face Jack.

He talked to a friend in Minneapolis. It sounded as if they needed an extra hand. When he mentioned Samantha, Adam thought that would be great. So that was set, he worked on her transfer letter. While all of this may seem a bit possessive, Danny knew that right now Sam didn't have the strength for it all. She needed a friend and that was what he was going to give her.