Disclaimer: Profiler and all characters belongs to NBC, Sanders/Moses Productions, Cynthia Saunders, Stephen Kronish ... Not to me. No copyright infringement intended.
Part II : One chance to get to him
They both kept quiet for about ten minutes. Sam was the first one to break the silence.
" You do know what it means, don't you ?" she asked. Bailey nodded.
" Yeah. But that sure doesn't change the way I feel.
- Feelings are one thing, Malone. Reality is a different one."
Bailey knew from experience that it was not a good sign when Sam called him "Malone". Not that the Samantha Waters who was seated next to him in his car was different from the one he had made love to a few hours ago, but what they had seen in this building had obviously shaken her more than she would admit.
" We're two adults, Sam. And we are in love. Or aren't we ?" Sam did not answer. She was staring out of the window. " I will not let a sick man take away from me what I've been waiting for my whole life.
- He has started again, Bail. He won't stop until he gets to what he wants." Her voice was cold. "He too has been waiting his whole life.
- We are two. He's alone. That makes a difference to me.
- He is a murderer. He has already put to death over thirty people, and he is not afraid to kill a dozen more if we give him a pretext for it.
- He won't have us. I promise, Sam.
- US !" Her voice suddenly raised with anger. "It is not US he is after. It's YOU ! Come on, you know he won't do anything to me. The game would be over, and that's not what he wants.
- I can cope with that ... If I've got you on my side." Bailey paused for a few seconds. He couldn't see Sam's face, but he knew she was close to breaking down. "I love you, honey. I will never let you down. Please believe me. I know how hard it had been on you when he got to Tom, ... and to Coop. But that will not happen again. Nobody knows him like you do. And this time we know the target. Together we can defeat him. We have a unique chance to definitely close the case. I don't want to let it pass."
Sam slowly turned her face to him. Tears were rolling on her cheeks.
" Then try to answer this one honestly, big guy." Sam started. "If it was me he was after ... Imagine for one second that a psychopath had a crush on you and was killing anybody getting close to you ... If the threat of tonight had been for me, would you react the same way ?
- First, it is not the case. Second, it would not be the same thing ...
- Why ? Because I'm a woman and you a man ? Because you're an FBI veteran ? Or an ex-marine ? Don't lie to me Bailey. You and I both know that if it happened, you would try by all means to keep me away from you.
- And would you keep away ?" Sam again did not answer. She knew he could read her mind, and that she could not fool him so easily.
Bailey stopped the car in front of the VCTF building. He turned off the engine and took Sam's hand in his.
" I've been close to you for quite some time, honey. Not the way I am now, but we have been the closest of friends for years. I'm pretty sure Jack did not like it. If he had thought it was easy to get to me, he already would have tried it. Right ?" Sam had stopped crying, but did not say anything.
" Besides, we're not alone in this. We have a team we can rely on. They're damned good, Sam. Honey please, look at me." Bailey waited till their eyes locked. Then he went on : "I won't take unnecessary risks. I'll be as cautious as a mouse. I promise."
Then he wiped her tears with his thumb and kiss her gently on the mouth. They stepped out of the car and headed at the building main entrance.
To be continued ... R&R, Thanks.
Absolut.
