"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to carry me?" Sam asked as Jack opened the door and picked her up out of the passenger seat of the truck.

He set her down at the bottom of the stairs, "Ok, be my guest, you can walk up yourself." He started to climb the stairs and said over his shoulder, "I'll see you in about an hour then."

Sam chuckled, "All right, you win. Carry me."

He turned around and scooped her back up and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You better learn this now. I always win."

"No, I'm letting you win, Bauer, there's a difference." Jack carried her into the apartment and set her gently on the couch. "I could win if I wanted to, but I don't want to right now."

Jack laughed and nodded, "Uh huh. Ok, sweetheart, I'll take you up on that bet as soon as you're better. You, me and the shooting range. Winner gets to pick what the loser has to do."

"Very interesting. You got yourself a deal." She put out her hand and he shook it. "Now, I just have to figure out what I'm going to make you do. Hmmm..."

Jack sat down next to her and put his arm around her, "Don't hurt yourself thinking, honey, because I'm going to win."

Sam laughed painfully, but she didn't add that she was ranked first on the shooting range from her class at Quantico. No need to tip her hand just yet, she would prove who was better. "Ow, it hurts, now stop making me laugh. Can you get my medication, please?"

Jack handed it over, "Thanks." She took the pill and leaned back on the couch, "I am so glad that this is finally all over. Salazar, Gibson, everything." When Jack didn't respond, she asked, "It is all over, right? You're not keeping anything from me are you?"

"What? No. It's over. Henry is dead. Salazar is dead. Gibson is dead. There's no one left to hurt you."

"Wait a minute, Gibson is dead? I thought you interrogated him at CTU."

Jack shook his head, leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "He never made it over there. Our transport got hit, Charlie Crocker's car exploded in front of me. Gibson grabbed my gun and committed suicide."

Sam touched his arm, "Oh god, Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't think he would ever do that. He has a wife and an eleven-year-old daughter. I've met them. How could he do that?" Sam's eyes pleaded with Jack's for an answer.

He broke their gaze and looked down. However, he didn't have one to give, and answered quietly. "I don't know. He said he'd ruined his life. He probably thought they were better off without him."

"Did you ever feel that way?"

A faraway look settled across his face, "Yeah, I did."

The silence was deafening to Sam's ears. "Jack?"

"What? Yeah. Um, you ok for a minute, I'm going to go take a shower." Jack stood up and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Yeah, sure. Are you ok Jack?"

He leaned over and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I'm fine, I just need a shower."

Sam only nodded. Jack was holding something back, she was sure of that. But what? The pain medicine was kicking in and her eyelids were getting heavy, so Sam went to the bedroom to rest. As she sat down, she noticed the bedside table drawer was still ajar from when she had hurriedly grabbed the knife earlier this morning. Was it just this morning? It already seemed so long ago.

She picked up the picture of Jack and Teri and studied it again, when Jack came out of the bathroom toweling off his hair. He didn't spot Sam on the bed when he yelled, "Sam, are you hungry?"

Sam froze like a deer in headlights, with the picture still in her hand. Jack turned and noticed her there, then his eyes settled on the picture. He put his hands over his eyes and rubbed them, then kneeled in front of Sam, taking the picture and setting it aside. "Sam, I guess it's time we had that talk."

By the look on his face, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. The thought of losing him was just too much to bear right now. "Jack, I'm really tired, can we just do this tomorrow?"

Jack threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. When he turned to her, she thought he looked almost hurt, but he relented, "Sure, why don't you get some rest. I'll be in the other room." He bent over and kissed her forehead and turned to leave.

She grabbed his hand, "Will you stay until I fall asleep? Please."

He couldn't resist those big blue eyes. He smiled at her and said, "Yeah, sure. But you start snoring and I'm outta here."

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Note: Two chapters left to this story - I'll try to put them up tomorrow. But I have already started on a sequel, so there will be further adventures for Jack, Sam and Temple