Author's Note: Okay. Inventories were created by the devil. So are creative writing teachers…at least the ones at NHSN.

Finally I updated! Yay! Thanks to all of you who wished me luck on all my tests and such…. I got a projected grade of 100% and a recommendation to go to French 2 on my EEE, I got a 30 out of 25 on my oral exams, I got caught up in chemistry, pulling my grade up to a B+, and I have my two hardest finals over and done with. No more chemistry ever!

Now, on with the story.

~~~~

Danny frowned when he saw Samantha walk into the bullpen looking exhausted. "Hey Sam." He said, watching her collapse into her seat.

"Hey Danny." She asked, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hands.

Danny stared at her, unsure of what was wrong. "Weren't you with Jack today?"

"Don't ask Danny. Please, don't ask." She said firmly, looking at him. She looked at the clock and sighed. "Those fifteen blocks took longer than I anticipated. I'll do my report in the morning."  She looked at him, the hurt evident in her brown eyes. "G'night Danny."

"G'night." He responded, and she left the office, feeling his eyes glued to her as she walked out of the bullpen. She bit her lip as she hastened her pace.

~*~

"You can't pretend that you didn't love him." Martin said softly, running the fingers on his good hand through her long blonde hair. Samantha sighed.

"I know, I just…"

"Wish he wasn't such a bastard?" Martin supplied, a slight smile playing on his lips. Samantha laughed softly.

"Yeah." She whispered. She pulled herself closer to Martin, deriving comfort from feeling his heartbeat thud against her shoulder. Martin's fingers on his left hand, which had been freed from the sling the previous day reached out and clasped Samantha's hand as best as it could.

"Kelly called today." Martin said suddenly, changing the subject.

"Really? What'd she have to say?" Samantha asked, wondering what the younger woman could have wanted.

"She thinks her current boyfriend is 'the one.'" Martin said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He loved his little sister, but her taste in men was something to be desired. Samantha frowned.

"Didn't she say that about that guy that got fifteen for...?" Martin nodded.

"Armed robbery. Yup. I told her what I always tell her, to be careful and to call me if she needs anything." He sighed. "She laughed and told me I was being overprotective. What is it about bad boys that are so appealing?" He asked rhetorically.

"Do you really want to know?" Samantha asked, also rhetorically. Martin shook his head.

"No, not really." He paused. "I just don't want to see her hurt." He said softly. "I'm so scared that she'll end up like some of the people we see everyday."

"I know." Samantha whispered. The two slipped into a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from the cars on the street below. The phone rang shrilly, causing them to jump.

"Hello?" Martin said upon answering. "Hi mom…yeah I talked to Kelly today…I just hope she's not making a mistake…no I don't think that…Yes I did tell her that…" Martin sighed. "Yeah, Samantha's here." Silently he handed the phone over.

"Hello?"

"Hi Samantha. Do you think Martin is being too quick to judge?" the older woman asked without preamble. Samantha smiled slightly.


"All I know is from what Martin has told me, but no I don't think he's too quick. We see things every day that would shock you. Kelly does have a habit in choosing bad guys…he just doesn't want to see her hurt…" Samantha trailed off.

"Martin always was over-protective of her." Martin's mother mused. Samantha laughed slightly, causing Martin to wonder what they were talking about. He watched in amusement as she made small talk for a few moments before saying goodbye and handing the phone back to Martin.

"Hello?"

"Hi Martin. Listen, your father just came home, I need to go. Okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."  She said, before hanging up the phone. Martin did likewise.

"Pretense of a happy marriage." He mumbled. Samantha looked at him.

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing." He said quickly, a little embarrassed that he'd actually expressed that thought out loud. Samantha looked like she didn't believe him, but she was prevented from pressing him on the issue by a large, face-distorting yawn.

Martin yawned a split-second later. "Contagious." He teased her slightly. "Come on, it's late. Lets go to bed." He said, standing. He waited until she too stood, and slowly made his way to the bedroom, slightly dragging his right leg, which was big and heavy and bulky with the walking cast that the hospital had put on.

When the two had settled down, and the lights turned off, the only sounds were the two of them breathing. "I love you Sam." Martin whispered into the night.

"I love you too Martin." Samantha replied, feeling herself slipping into a much-welcome sleep.

~*~

Samantha sat up violently, panting slightly. A quick check of the clock confirmed that it was late, or early, depending on one's perspective, only three in the morning. Martin was still sleeping, the sounds of his shallow breathing contradicting the sounds of her quick, and deep ones.

She lay back down gingerly, and pulled the coverers up to her chin. 'Just a dream.' She thought. "It was just a dream." She whispered, willing sleep to return, but it did not.