My first fanfic! Please be kind.
Spoilers - Two Families
Disclaimer - All characters owned by the gods known as Hank and Ed.
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Danny was pacing. He'd stood up at eleven past twelve to get a cup of coffee, but put it down on the conference table untasted. Instead, he began to pace. Sixteen minutes now, back and forth across the bullpen.
Samantha wanted to yell at him to stop. Each length up and down irritated her more and more, but she didn't want to break the silence in the room. She saw Viv periodically glare at him, but she too seemed unwilling to say anything. The older woman went back to studying her nails.
Martin didn't seem to notice Danny at all. He was like a statue, staring at a fixed point in space. Sam studied his face. He looked ready to dissolve into tears at any moment. She didn't want to be there when it happened. Comforting him at the hospital had been, well, different. They were just friends there, not coworkers. Funny how just the lack of a necktie on a guy could make such a difference!
And Jack sat only a few feet away. She didn't know what to think about him these days. He seemed more distant, less inclined to give her those little smiles or "accidentally" brush up against her. He was even calling her "Samantha" instead of "Sam." She had hated that nickname for most of her life, but when he said it ...
She sighed and looked at the clock again. 12:29
Viv reached across the table and picked up the cup that Danny had left. She took a sip and grimaced. Samantha allowed herself a smile. The coffee was probably both cold and bitter. Viv should have realized that it would be awful before she even tasted it. Maybe she just needed something to do.
Danny was approaching them again. Martin suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the arm. He pulled the darker man closer and whispered something to him. Danny put his other hand on Martin's shoulder and give a gentle squeeze. Sam heard him mumble, "Sorry" before sitting down again.
12:30 Ricky had either died half an hour ago, or been given a new life to live. Why didn't the damn phone ring? True, his lawyer had many people to call, but shouldn't they have heard something by now?
Samantha thought of the cigarettes she'd left in her desk drawer. She had reminded herself several times to throw them away, but she inevitably forgot again. A little voice at the back of her head told her that she should save them for an emergency. Well, this certainly qualified as a "smoking emergency" if anything could!
Damn, why did Jack have to be sitting at her desk? She wanted to secretly slip the pack and lighter into her pocket. If anyone asked, she was going outside for some fresh air. But there was no way of opening the drawer without Jack seeing what she was doing. Oh, to hell with it. She needed to get out of this room for a while.
She went to her desk and, trying to avoid looking at Jack, opened the drawer. As she reached in to pull out the pack of cigarettes, she felt his hand on her arm. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to change his mind and simply raised an eyebrow.
"I need some air," she murmured. He didn't move his hand. The looked at each other for a long moment. "Jack...", she trailed off, torn between wanting him to stop her and let her go outside.
He sighed and held on for a moment longer before releasing her arm. She stuffed the pack and lighter into her pocket and headed for the door.
RINGGGG – was the phone always so loud?
Spoilers - Two Families
Disclaimer - All characters owned by the gods known as Hank and Ed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Danny was pacing. He'd stood up at eleven past twelve to get a cup of coffee, but put it down on the conference table untasted. Instead, he began to pace. Sixteen minutes now, back and forth across the bullpen.
Samantha wanted to yell at him to stop. Each length up and down irritated her more and more, but she didn't want to break the silence in the room. She saw Viv periodically glare at him, but she too seemed unwilling to say anything. The older woman went back to studying her nails.
Martin didn't seem to notice Danny at all. He was like a statue, staring at a fixed point in space. Sam studied his face. He looked ready to dissolve into tears at any moment. She didn't want to be there when it happened. Comforting him at the hospital had been, well, different. They were just friends there, not coworkers. Funny how just the lack of a necktie on a guy could make such a difference!
And Jack sat only a few feet away. She didn't know what to think about him these days. He seemed more distant, less inclined to give her those little smiles or "accidentally" brush up against her. He was even calling her "Samantha" instead of "Sam." She had hated that nickname for most of her life, but when he said it ...
She sighed and looked at the clock again. 12:29
Viv reached across the table and picked up the cup that Danny had left. She took a sip and grimaced. Samantha allowed herself a smile. The coffee was probably both cold and bitter. Viv should have realized that it would be awful before she even tasted it. Maybe she just needed something to do.
Danny was approaching them again. Martin suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the arm. He pulled the darker man closer and whispered something to him. Danny put his other hand on Martin's shoulder and give a gentle squeeze. Sam heard him mumble, "Sorry" before sitting down again.
12:30 Ricky had either died half an hour ago, or been given a new life to live. Why didn't the damn phone ring? True, his lawyer had many people to call, but shouldn't they have heard something by now?
Samantha thought of the cigarettes she'd left in her desk drawer. She had reminded herself several times to throw them away, but she inevitably forgot again. A little voice at the back of her head told her that she should save them for an emergency. Well, this certainly qualified as a "smoking emergency" if anything could!
Damn, why did Jack have to be sitting at her desk? She wanted to secretly slip the pack and lighter into her pocket. If anyone asked, she was going outside for some fresh air. But there was no way of opening the drawer without Jack seeing what she was doing. Oh, to hell with it. She needed to get out of this room for a while.
She went to her desk and, trying to avoid looking at Jack, opened the drawer. As she reached in to pull out the pack of cigarettes, she felt his hand on her arm. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to change his mind and simply raised an eyebrow.
"I need some air," she murmured. He didn't move his hand. The looked at each other for a long moment. "Jack...", she trailed off, torn between wanting him to stop her and let her go outside.
He sighed and held on for a moment longer before releasing her arm. She stuffed the pack and lighter into her pocket and headed for the door.
RINGGGG – was the phone always so loud?