John Doggett POV:
Star Diner
February 5, 2004
10:17 a.m.
"You think they'll figure it out." I eye Monica, as we take a seat in the booth and shut our menus.
"I haven't figured it out," she answers. "Are you telling me you have?"
"When I was talking to Samantha, she gave me this idea. It's just a theory but it might explain it."
"Go on," her eyes widen with a smile.
The waitress comes over and takes our orders. Once she leaves, I lean in across the table, whispering what I think might be the key to solving this very mystery.
"And you think it'll work?" she questions.
"We can't help them, though," I point out.
"Besides, your theory means it should never have happened in the first place, and since we can't exactly go back in time, then they're stuck. It sounds like a really bad movie," she jokes.
"Not exactly. I think there's a way; we just can't do anything to intervene."
"We've already intervened," she states.
"Well we have to leave the rest up to them. Samantha's capable of figuring it out, and if she tells Jack the truth, then it shouldn't be long till things are reversed."
"Assuming your theory works," she grins. "I never imagined you'd be the one coming up with the answers."
"You do that to me," he chuckles.
"John," she pauses, her smile fading from her lips, "I'm not sure I can keep this up."
"What?"
"This charade between the two of us. I can't keep lying to my friends and family about our relationship, or whatever it is that we have."
"Monica," I let out a sigh. "I just don't think it's wise to announce anything yet. You saw the look on Skinner's face when he caught us in the basement the other day."
"Why can't I tell my family, though?" She eyes me sadly. "I wouldn't even need to tell my parents, just my sister. We tell each other everything; at least we used to."
"I'm sorry," I shake my head no. "I can't take the chance that someone will find out about us."
"John," she stands up, agitated, "you don't have to worry about anyone finding out, because it's over." She grabs a ten dollar bill from her pocket and leaves it on the table to cover the cost of her food. "Goodbye," she states plainly with no hint of emotion in her voice.
"Monica," I stand up, grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving.
"Let go of me, John."
"Don't leave."
"I can't stay." She shakes her head no. "It's been a lie from the beginning. I just wish I would have seen who the lie was going to hurt." She whisks out the door, and I watch her hail a cab.
"Monica," I whisper to no one in particular. I feel my heart break in two. "Check!" I call the waitress, pay the bill and grab two to-go containers for the food.
Jack Malone POV:
Jack Malone Residence
February 5, 2004
10:25 a.m.
I make my way back home, doing as I was told by the agents. I can't imagine or even begin to understand why Samantha called them. Least of all, I can't comprehend why they told me to go home. Did Maria do something to Samantha? Is she the reason Sam's miserable and she's happy all of a sudden?
I storm through the front door and call out, "Maria!"
"I'm in here." I hear her voice, choked with tears. She's sitting on the bed, her head in her hands. In all the years we've been married and fighting, she's never let me see her cry. She pretends to be too strong for that.
"What happened?" I question, kneeling in front of her.
"You wouldn't understand," she sobs.
"Try me."
"Jack," she shakes her head no.
"If you're worried I won't forgive you for whatever has happened--"
"It's not my fault!" she wails out between sobs. "Jack, I love you but I'm not your wife. I only wished I was and I can't imagine how I became her."
"What are you talking about, Maria?"
"Stop calling me that!" she yells. I move towards her, wrapping my arms around her body for a hug. Her head moves into my chest. "Forget it," she mumbles.
"Forget what? I don't understand any of this." I bite down, keeping myself from saying her name. Why did that upset her so much?
"And like I do? Jack, you have to believe me."
"Of course," I tell her, to quell her fears. "What is it?"
"I'm not Maria." Her eyes glance into mine. "I'm Samantha."
"What?" I choke out, shaking my head no. "You can't be."
"The first time we made love," she pauses, wiping her eyes, "we barely made it inside my apartment. The neighbors got quite the show," she laughs softly and continues on. "I can tell you anything you want to know about Samantha, because I am Samantha."
"It's not possible," I whisper.
"Well then Maria and I are both nuts," she answers dryly.
"That explains Samantha's behavior," I muse. "I mean Maria's." I shake my head, "This is all too confusing."
"I know," she nods. "I can tell you more about Samantha, if you don't believe me. I ran away when I was a teenager and made it as far as the bus station the next town over," she reminds me.
I nod, knowing Maria wouldn't know that information. I move my hand to dry the few remaining tears left. "We have to do something to change all this," I tell her.
"Agreed," she laughs. "As much as I might have fantasized about being a part of your family and maybe even your wife," she blushes, "this isn't what I had in mind."
"I love you," I tell her, brushing my lips against hers.
"I love you too," she affirms, and my hand brushes past hers, our rings clanking together---the key to the mystery---as my hand dances along her face and down her neck.
I realize then that only a few days ago, her lips kissed this ring and perhaps it was never meant to be. Maybe I shouldn't have worn it, or she shouldn't have touched it. Maybe we shouldn't have even been in bed together, but that thought is in the back of my mind.
In that instant, our lips are together and I feel her heart telling me how she feels. I pull away, glancing into the eyes of Samantha Spade and her face as well.
"Sam," my smile lights up.
"Yeah," she nods, not realizing what's happened.
"Go look in the mirror," I tell her.
She heads into the bathroom and comes back with a huge smile on her face.
"What now?" she questions. "I mean you are still married."
I nod my head with a sigh. "Yes, I am." I run my hand through her hair. "It's funny though."
"What is?"
"When Maria looked like you, as much as I loved you, I felt like it wasn't right to be with you."
"And now?" Her hopeful eyes glance deep into mine.
"Now I don't care. I love you."
"Jack," she shakes her head no. "I can't go back to having an affair. Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful, but---"
"You've experienced a taste of married life, and want more?" I tease.
She nods her head yes. "If you can't give it to me, I understand."
"I want to," I whisper.
"Then do it." Her eyes melt my heart.
"What about our jobs, Maria, and the children?" I'm interrupted by her fingers on my lips to quiet me.
"If you stay with them, I want you to do one thing for me."
"Anything," I whisper.
"I want a baby."
Star Diner
February 5, 2004
10:17 a.m.
"You think they'll figure it out." I eye Monica, as we take a seat in the booth and shut our menus.
"I haven't figured it out," she answers. "Are you telling me you have?"
"When I was talking to Samantha, she gave me this idea. It's just a theory but it might explain it."
"Go on," her eyes widen with a smile.
The waitress comes over and takes our orders. Once she leaves, I lean in across the table, whispering what I think might be the key to solving this very mystery.
"And you think it'll work?" she questions.
"We can't help them, though," I point out.
"Besides, your theory means it should never have happened in the first place, and since we can't exactly go back in time, then they're stuck. It sounds like a really bad movie," she jokes.
"Not exactly. I think there's a way; we just can't do anything to intervene."
"We've already intervened," she states.
"Well we have to leave the rest up to them. Samantha's capable of figuring it out, and if she tells Jack the truth, then it shouldn't be long till things are reversed."
"Assuming your theory works," she grins. "I never imagined you'd be the one coming up with the answers."
"You do that to me," he chuckles.
"John," she pauses, her smile fading from her lips, "I'm not sure I can keep this up."
"What?"
"This charade between the two of us. I can't keep lying to my friends and family about our relationship, or whatever it is that we have."
"Monica," I let out a sigh. "I just don't think it's wise to announce anything yet. You saw the look on Skinner's face when he caught us in the basement the other day."
"Why can't I tell my family, though?" She eyes me sadly. "I wouldn't even need to tell my parents, just my sister. We tell each other everything; at least we used to."
"I'm sorry," I shake my head no. "I can't take the chance that someone will find out about us."
"John," she stands up, agitated, "you don't have to worry about anyone finding out, because it's over." She grabs a ten dollar bill from her pocket and leaves it on the table to cover the cost of her food. "Goodbye," she states plainly with no hint of emotion in her voice.
"Monica," I stand up, grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving.
"Let go of me, John."
"Don't leave."
"I can't stay." She shakes her head no. "It's been a lie from the beginning. I just wish I would have seen who the lie was going to hurt." She whisks out the door, and I watch her hail a cab.
"Monica," I whisper to no one in particular. I feel my heart break in two. "Check!" I call the waitress, pay the bill and grab two to-go containers for the food.
Jack Malone POV:
Jack Malone Residence
February 5, 2004
10:25 a.m.
I make my way back home, doing as I was told by the agents. I can't imagine or even begin to understand why Samantha called them. Least of all, I can't comprehend why they told me to go home. Did Maria do something to Samantha? Is she the reason Sam's miserable and she's happy all of a sudden?
I storm through the front door and call out, "Maria!"
"I'm in here." I hear her voice, choked with tears. She's sitting on the bed, her head in her hands. In all the years we've been married and fighting, she's never let me see her cry. She pretends to be too strong for that.
"What happened?" I question, kneeling in front of her.
"You wouldn't understand," she sobs.
"Try me."
"Jack," she shakes her head no.
"If you're worried I won't forgive you for whatever has happened--"
"It's not my fault!" she wails out between sobs. "Jack, I love you but I'm not your wife. I only wished I was and I can't imagine how I became her."
"What are you talking about, Maria?"
"Stop calling me that!" she yells. I move towards her, wrapping my arms around her body for a hug. Her head moves into my chest. "Forget it," she mumbles.
"Forget what? I don't understand any of this." I bite down, keeping myself from saying her name. Why did that upset her so much?
"And like I do? Jack, you have to believe me."
"Of course," I tell her, to quell her fears. "What is it?"
"I'm not Maria." Her eyes glance into mine. "I'm Samantha."
"What?" I choke out, shaking my head no. "You can't be."
"The first time we made love," she pauses, wiping her eyes, "we barely made it inside my apartment. The neighbors got quite the show," she laughs softly and continues on. "I can tell you anything you want to know about Samantha, because I am Samantha."
"It's not possible," I whisper.
"Well then Maria and I are both nuts," she answers dryly.
"That explains Samantha's behavior," I muse. "I mean Maria's." I shake my head, "This is all too confusing."
"I know," she nods. "I can tell you more about Samantha, if you don't believe me. I ran away when I was a teenager and made it as far as the bus station the next town over," she reminds me.
I nod, knowing Maria wouldn't know that information. I move my hand to dry the few remaining tears left. "We have to do something to change all this," I tell her.
"Agreed," she laughs. "As much as I might have fantasized about being a part of your family and maybe even your wife," she blushes, "this isn't what I had in mind."
"I love you," I tell her, brushing my lips against hers.
"I love you too," she affirms, and my hand brushes past hers, our rings clanking together---the key to the mystery---as my hand dances along her face and down her neck.
I realize then that only a few days ago, her lips kissed this ring and perhaps it was never meant to be. Maybe I shouldn't have worn it, or she shouldn't have touched it. Maybe we shouldn't have even been in bed together, but that thought is in the back of my mind.
In that instant, our lips are together and I feel her heart telling me how she feels. I pull away, glancing into the eyes of Samantha Spade and her face as well.
"Sam," my smile lights up.
"Yeah," she nods, not realizing what's happened.
"Go look in the mirror," I tell her.
She heads into the bathroom and comes back with a huge smile on her face.
"What now?" she questions. "I mean you are still married."
I nod my head with a sigh. "Yes, I am." I run my hand through her hair. "It's funny though."
"What is?"
"When Maria looked like you, as much as I loved you, I felt like it wasn't right to be with you."
"And now?" Her hopeful eyes glance deep into mine.
"Now I don't care. I love you."
"Jack," she shakes her head no. "I can't go back to having an affair. Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful, but---"
"You've experienced a taste of married life, and want more?" I tease.
She nods her head yes. "If you can't give it to me, I understand."
"I want to," I whisper.
"Then do it." Her eyes melt my heart.
"What about our jobs, Maria, and the children?" I'm interrupted by her fingers on my lips to quiet me.
"If you stay with them, I want you to do one thing for me."
"Anything," I whisper.
"I want a baby."
