A/N: only five chapters still. sigh. oh well, third season started, so my muse should start working again soon (glareglareglare) lol.

Disclaimer: does anyone know where to get the 1st season dvd and how much it is? coz thats the only way i'll own ANYTHING WaT.

All the traffic ground to a halt. The taxi swerved and skidded along the wet pavement in a dangerous test of recently inspected brake pads. Up ahead, not three cars in front, Martin could see a dangerous accident taking up most of the roadway. The cabby swore under his breath at the inconvenience caused and changed lanes immediately, speeding ahead and around the traffic before the road was closed. The back tires swung out and Martin clung to the door in an effort to remain upright. Unfortunately, despite the cabby's best efforts to beat the roadblock, the police still managed to close the road just as the cab was about to pass and the car was stopped for who-knew-how-long.

Sam's home line went off, alerting her to a (thankfully) non-business call. Wondering where Martin was and if he was okay, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey, Sam, I've brought lunch but I'm afraid it'll defrost... see, I'm sitting in the cab right now and there's been an accident..."

"Oh my God, are you okay? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Is it..."

Martin cut her off. "No, not me, I'm fine. It's just that the road's closed indefinitely and I might be awhile, that's all," he explained, happy that Sam cared enough to feel genuinely worried about him. "I might just get out and walk if it gets really bad."

"Alright, as long as you're safe. See you when you get here."

"See ya, love you," he said. Oops, did he just say that?

Did he just say that? "Bye... love you too..."

Sam returned to her television show, glowing too much to concentrate on it, however. Just then the door buzzed, and Sam got up to answer the intercom.

"Who is it?"

"Hey Sam, it's me. We need to talk, can I come in?" It was Jack. Her glow faded.

"Uhh... sure... just a sec," she replied, opening the door that lead into the apartment downstairs.

Jack knocked on her door a few minutes later.

"Come in, it's open," Samantha called.

The door opened and there stood Jack. Sam sat on the couch with her back turned. "So talk," she said coldly.

"Sam... I'm getting a divorce and it was Marie's idea. She said... she said she didn't want to move to Chicago with me after all," he started, melancholy and nervous.

"That's nice, Jack," Samantha said as she continued to pretend to watch her show.

"So... just thought I'd let you know," he finished awkwardly.

"And you couldn't phone me because...?"

"I just was out, and decided to drop by, and I thought I'd tell you in person, that's all," covered Jack. He'd really hoped Samantha would be happy he came in person, and wanted to pick up where they left off. It really didn't look like it was going to turn out that way.

"For your information, Jack, I'm expecting company," said Sam as the phone began to ring. Both ignored it. "So if you don't mind leaving, I think that would be best."

"Company?" Male company, most likely. Ring. Why not him, he asked himself. Why couldn't Marie have asked for a divorce a little earlier? Ring.

"Yes, company," stated Sam, in a 'get-your-butt-out-of-my-apartment' way. The answering machine picked up with a grainy sound.

Beep. "Hey Sam, it's Martin, listen, traffic just picked up and the road's clear so I'll be over in two shakes. Luv ya, bye." Click.

"Company?" inquired Jack again, but his voice was more defeated than inquisitive or suspicious. Martin. Why?

"Yes, company," said Sam again, with a more bitter tone than before. "Please leave, he'll be here any minute."

"Sam, I hope you know what you're doing," said Jack in a warning tone. He trusted Martin as one of his staff... but what would he be like in his personal life? He'd never seen Martin outside of work. He just hoped for Samantha's sake that he'd be good to her.

"Goodbye, Jack."

"Goodbye."

Sam had returned to watching her program, but the glow had gone almost completely. She honestly didn't give two thoughts to Jack and his marital status anymore. She fell again into that half-sleep that had nearly consumed her before Martin's first call. Martin... the picnic! If she pretended she like picnics, she'd undoubtedly be forced on one when the weather cleared up. She had to think of something to say to prevent a picnic... 'Oh, why not, just tell him you hate them' came her subconscious. 'But do it gently. Let him down easy.' For God's sake, she wasn't breaking up with him, just saying she hated picnics! What was the problem?

The door buzzed, jolting Sam out of her half-sleep. She blinked several times before getting up off the couch and going to answer the bell, even though she knew perfectly well who it was.

"Who is it?" she asked flirtingly into the intercom.

"Your tardy knight with shining pizza," came Martin's reply.

A few minutes later, Sam and Martin were curled up on her sofa sharing recently baked frozen pizza (salvageable despite being partially defrosted) and a bag of microwave popcorn. Not much was on TV, so the two took to talking.

"Martin," asked Sam, hesitantly, "can I tell you something?"

"Sure, anything. Go right ahead," came Martin's somewhat concerned response. What was this going to be about?

"I... I hate picnics. I can't stand them," she hurried on, hoping not to hurt Martin's feelings but trying to get out of rescheduling a picnic. So much for gentle.

"You hate picnics?" This was not what Martin had been expecting and definitely something that made him a little embarrassed for asking in the first place.

"I don't like them at all. The bugs, the ground... I'd much rather be, oh, say, sitting in front of the T.V. with pizza and popcorn on a rainy day," Sam covered, hoping she hadn't offended Martin. But really, a picnic?

"I guess that makes sense," Martin shrugged. "So why did you agree in the first place then, if you didn't want to go? You could have just said so"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings, after all, it looked like you'd been planning a picnic for a while and I didn't want it to be spoiled," she explained, slightly regretful that she'd brought up the point at all.

"Don't keep things from me if they're going to make you miserable," said Martin, clearly upset.

"Ooh, do that again," said Sam, giggling despite herself.

"Do what again?" asked Martin, confused. Was she changing the topic on purpose...?

"You pouted. Do it again," commanded Ms. Samantha Bossy Spade.

"I did not pout," said Martin disdainfully. "I've got too much pride."

"Your pride just went out the window, baby, so suck it up and pout again!"

"Fine...you mean... like this?" asked Martin, pouting, which made Samantha giggle again.

"If all your ex-girlfriends could see you now, they'd be so jealous," joked Sam, loving the moment.

"You bet," answered Martin, getting up off the couch and taking Samantha with him. "Put down your pizza, we're going out!"

Martin led Samantha by the hand all the way down the stairwell and out the door of her apartment into the rainy street.

"Martin what are you doing?! If you haven't noticed it's incredibly wet out here..."

"I know, that's the point," said Martin, grinning cheekily.

"What's the point? The fact that it's raining?!" asked Sam, getting really ticked off. Her shoes were filling with puddle water, the further they walked.

"Sure... if it wasn't raining, could I do... this?" shouted Martin over the noise of the rain as he kicked up a huge amount of rain from a puddle in Sam's direction, drenching her.

Sam gasped for air, soaking wet. "That's it, kiddo, you asked for it!" And she shoved Martin into a puddle. "Nobody messes with the great Sam Spade! Hah!"

"The great? Since when?" shouted Martin over the noise of the cars honking at the idiots in the middle of the road. He sent another arc of water spraying in Sam's direction.

"Since always, and don't forget it!"

"Yeah, I'll try not to," said Martin, rolling his eyes.

"What was that?" Sam said, squelching her feet noisily up to Martin's side. "Did you roll your eyes at me? Do you have some sort of a death wish or something?"

"Obviously, otherwise why would I be here with you at all?"

"That's it," said Sam, and she pulled Martin's soaking wet collar towards her under an awning and pressed her lips to his.

And they stayed that way until the streetlights came on over them and the rain stopped.

A/N: hahahahahahahaaa!!! who said JS isnt dead? COZ IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS! either that or i'm having a massive and detailed hallucination but im pretty sure i saw some MS there last thursday!!!! HAHAHA! (and ARRRRGH why wont this site let me use asterisks???? i HATE brackets!) (pouty face)